


Dragons Don't Give A Shit About Your Outdated Gender Stereotypes

by AntagonizedPenguin



Series: How Best to Use a Sword [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Anal Sex, Fingering, M/M, Minor Violence, Mostly Dialogue though, Mutual Masturbation, Now with chapters, Oral Sex, Sex, Sorta Rough Sex, That's it that's all, The two most in-love assholes you've ever seen though, They have sex and snark at each other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-08
Updated: 2018-03-31
Packaged: 2018-04-13 14:10:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 46
Words: 94,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4524984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AntagonizedPenguin/pseuds/AntagonizedPenguin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Owen heard there was a princess in need of saving from a dragon and went off to save her. Mostly because of hormones.</p><p>Too bad his information was wrong, and the princess was a prince. That really didn't do much for the whole hormone situation, but it did end up kicking off a hell of an adventure with his new boyfriend, so really it all worked out in the end.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dragons Don't Give A Shit About Your Outdated Gender Stereotypes

**Author's Note:**

> Dialogue practice that turned into sex because Reasons. Hahaha oops. 
> 
> Marked as underage because they call themselves 'boys' and I'm lazy and can't be bothered to specify ages.

“Oh.” 

“Oh?”

“You’re…” Owen cleared his throat, tried to get over his shock at the boy standing in front of him. “Excuse me. I’ve slain the dragon, your highness. It’s safe to leave the cave now.”

“Oh.” The prince peered around Owen at the dead dragon in the entrance of the cave. He was a little bit shorter than Owen. “Okay, thanks. You’re not one of my father’s knights.”

“No, sire. I just wanted to, um, protect the kingdom.”

“Then why do you look so disappointed to see me?”

“No reason. I mean! I’m not. Disappointed. Um, we should go.” 

“You don’t want to loot the dragon’s treasure first?”

Owen looked around at the piles of gold. “I guess we could do that.” 

“We? I don’t need it and you killed the dragon. It’s yours if you want it.”

 _I know._ Owen hadn’t killed the dragon out of want for money. “Right. I’ll, uh, do that then.” Owen looked around, for a bag or something to keep the gold in. At least he’d be rich, he consoled himself. Money could buy him what he wanted, or close enough as made no difference.

“You don’t even care about the money?” The prince asked, watching Owen’s face. “Why are you really here then? You didn’t kill a dragon because you wanted to protect the kingdom, there are knights for that. You did know there were knights, right?”

“Yes! I just…nevermind.” Maybe the prince actually was the princess, Owen thought now that he looked at him. He was very pretty. Maybe she was pretending to be a boy to protect her virtue. That made sense.

“You wanted the reward, right?”

“What?”

“The reward? My father must have promised one. My name’s Gavin, by the way, since you haven’t asked.”

“Hello Gavin. Prince Gavin. I’m Owen.”

“Hello Owen. Why did you rescue me?”

“You needed rescuing.”

“What did you want in return?”

“Nothing.”

“I’ll give it to you, you don’t need to be embarrassed.” Owen tried to pretend that his pants didn’t get more tight than they’d already been at that. At least Gavin hadn’t noticed that little issue yet, since it was dark and Owen’s mail was too big so it covered his waist as well. 

“I really don’t want anything.”

“You’re very strange.” 

“Is chivalry such a new concept for you?”

“Chivalry?” Gavin squinted at him in the dark. “Owen, did you by any chance think I was a princess who needed rescuing?”

“No!” Owen went red until his face matched his hair. “Yes.” 

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“And so you don’t want anything because you don’t want anything from me.”

“Nevermind.”

“Because you want it from the princess and ew, Owen, that’s my sister you’re thinking about!”

“Not really!” Owen protested. “It’s not like I know what she looks like or anything!”

“She looks like me only less pretty. That’s why the dragon took me instead.” Gavin sighed. “You killed a dragon just so you could have sex with my sister?”

“…Maybe.”

“What, are there no girls in the village you’re from?”

“How did you know I was from a village? Maybe I’m from the capital.”

“Because only rural peasants believe enough in stories to suit up and rescue a princess from a dragon just so they can put it in her.”

“Whatever.” Owen turned away from Gavin. “Let’s just get you home.”

“Wait.” Gavin grabbed his wrist. “I can have sex with you if you’re that set on it.”

“What?” Owen pulled away, looking at Gavin carefully. Was he the princess in disguise after all?

“I can have sex with you. You came all this way and went to all this trouble, it seems only fair.”

“Well, that’s an encouraging attitude to have. I can tell you’re really interested.”

“So what, you were expecting her to fall in love with you as well?” Owen’s face flushed again and Gavin snickered. “Okay. Whatever. Let’s do it, take off your pants.” Gavin let go of Owen’s wrist and started unlacing the top of the ornate shirt he was wearing. It was all laced with gold and everything. Looked really uncomfortable.

“But you’re a boy.”

“So are you. We’re boys. We have sexual urges. I’ve been here for two weeks. You think it’s easy to jerk off when there’s a dragon watching everything you do? I swear even my mom isn’t as efficient at boner killing. Thank God you killed it.”

“Well.” Owen took a good look at Gavin and…well, he was really pretty. “Okay.” He started undoing all the clasps on his armour, lifting the mail over his head. 

When he finally got it off Gavin was right in front of him in only his smallclothes. And Owen’s theory about him being the princess in disguise was officially disproven. “You’re too slow.” He said, reaching out and deftly undoing Owen’s pants.

“What the…I can do it myself!”

“This is twice as fast. Take off your shirt while I do this. I hope you weren’t hard like this while you were fighting the dragon, holy shit.”

“I, um, was.” Owen struggled to lift his shirt.

“You _really_ wanted to fuck my sister, wow.”

“Shut up.” Gavin shoved Owen’s pants down a little bit and reached into his smallclothes, grabbing his cock and pulling it out. “Holy shit!” And Owen shuddered as he came into Gaven’s hand in a few hard spurts.

“Really?” Gavin asked into the embarrassed silence that followed. “Really?”

“I’m sorry! It was an accident, I swear!”

“Your plan to woo my sister was to cum all over her hand? She either would have smacked you or laughed you out of the cave. Have you never met your right hand?”

“I’ve been busy.” Owen protested.

Gavin glared at him and wiped his hand on Owen’s pants. “You were saving up for her, weren’t you?”

“…Maybe.” 

“You are a riot.” Gavin informed him. “Take off the rest of your clothes. You can go again, right?”

“Uh, yeah, I guess, in a few minutes.”

“Take off the rest of your clothes.” Gavin slid his smallclothes off and kicked them aside, freeing his own length and watching Owen undress a little more slowly. “I was going to ask if anyone’s ever told you you’re bad at this, but I guess you’ve never done it before.”

“Have you?” Owen nearly tripped over his pants as he tried to kick them off and realized it was because he hadn’t taken off his boots yet. So he sat down to unlace them.

“No, but at least I’m not an idiot.” Gavin looked down at him and smiled. “I like you better down there. You’re too tall, you know.”

“You’re just short.”

“And now you’re on the ground.” Gavin poked him in the forehead, stepped forward with his cock in hand. “Open your mouth.”

“Wait, what?” And Gavin went ahead and took advantage of Owen’s speaking to jam his cock in Owen’s mouth. “Mmrph.” Owen said, his tongue running up the shaft as he tried to talk.

“Oh, holy shit.” And a salty taste invaded Owen’s mouth as Gavin came, choking him. Owen fell back and the rest of Gavin’s seed ended up on his face in hot streamers. 

“What the fuck.” What was one supposed to say in this situation?

“Oops.” Gavin just sort of laughed in a way that Owen thought was unfairly cute. It made it hard to be angry. “Sorry. Like I said, it’s, uh, been a while.”

“You literally just made fun of me for that ten seconds ago.” Owen swallowed what was in his mouth before realizing what he was swallowing and trying to spit the rest out.

Gavin blushed. Cutely, Owen thought. “Well. I guess we’re even now, then.”

“I didn’t cum all over your face!” 

“Now that I’m looking at it like this, your face is kinda cute, you know that?” 

Owen blushed again and grabbed Gavin’s smallclothes to wipe himself off. “You suck.”

“Actually you did, but semantics.” Gavin gave Owen a hand to help him up. “Come on, let’s have sex now.”

“That’s what we’ve been doing?” Owen said, or asked. Maybe. He was finding Gavin a bit confusing. 

“Okay fine, let’s have more sex, then. God, now is not the time to be pedantic, I swear. Come here.” Gavin pulled him around the gold pile. 

“Where are we going?”

“There’s a jar of oil over here. We’ll need it as lubricant so I can fuck you.”

“Wait.” Owen used his larger frame to stop Gavin from moving. “What? Fuck me? No.”

“Yes.” Gavin said, grabbing Owen’s again-hard cock in one hand and his own in the other and bringing them together. “Look how much bigger you are than me. It makes way more sense for me to do it.”

“Well…” That was true, Owen realized, and he was a little overwhelmed both by Gavin’s hand and the little tiny surge of pride that he was bigger than the prince, even if it wasn’t by as much as Gavin was pretending. “Okay. I guess.”

Gavin looked up at him, searching Owen’s face, and sighed. “Okay fine, you can fuck me instead.”

“What?” Maybe Gavin was two people? Or something? “I wasn’t arguing with you?”

“This is your princess-rescuing fantasy. I’ll indulge you this time. Come on.” 

“This time?” Owen let Gavin drag him over to a large pot and watched the prince pull the wooden cover off in a haze. 

“Here.” Gavin took Owen’s hand and stuck it in the oil, and then leaned over the pot, presenting his back end to Owen. “You need to stretch it with your fingers first.”

“What? Why do you know that?”

“Because I read books, Owen. Come on, I want you to do it.”

“O-okay.” This wasn’t anything like what Owen had pictured would happen and it was all moving very fast. Willing his hand not to shake, he reached down and touched Gavin on a cheek, leaving a trail of oil on his way to the hole. He found himself fascinated with the way Gavin trembled as he circled it with his finger, and when he pushed it in and heard the sound Gavin made he actually had to stop himself from just sticking his cock in right there.

“Does it hurt?”

“No, it’s just weird. Keep going.” Gavin was so warm around Owen’s finger, so squishy. 

“Okay.” Owen pushed the finger in the rest of the way, watching it disappear slowly inside Gavin. Then, figuring one finger wasn’t going to cut it, he stuck a second one in as well, a little faster. Gavin gasped. 

“Holy shit.” Owen only heard him vaguely, rapt as he watched his fingers. He pulled them out and pushed them back in, just to watch them disappear again. He couldn’t remember ever seeing anything that he wanted to watch more than this. Just pulling his fingers in and out like that. “Fuck, Owen.”

“I’m going to put another finger in.” Gavin nodded, gripping the lip of the jar tightly, and Owen slid another inside, marvelling at how Gavin just made room for him. 

“It hurts a little.” Gavin reported breathlessly. When Owen started to apologize, he said, “No, keep going. Just slower. Is all.” 

“Okay.” So Owen did, still pushing his fingers in and out, and watching the way that Gavin’s shoulders tensed as he did. Eventually his body relaxed a little. “You okay now?”

“Yeah. Gavin turned awkwardly to look up at Owen. “You’re going to put it in now, right?”

“Yeah.” Owen removed his fingers, revelling in the little noise Gavin made, and dipped his hand in the pot again, taking the oil to smear on his cock this time. Gavin turned around to face him. 

“Like this. I’m going to look at you.”

“Okay, but you’ll fall.” Owen gestured to the pot, worried it would tip over or something.

“On the ground, then.”

“No.” Owen’s face flushed again, but he took Gavin firmly by the hips and moved him over to the gold pile, had him lay down against it. 

Gavin tittered a little. “You pervert. You had this all planned.” When Owen nodded, feeling a little embarrassed again, he continued, “And I ruined it by having the wrong parts.”

“No.” Owen shook his head firmly. “You didn’t ruin it, really. I, um. I’m glad it’s you, Gavin.”

That earned him a wide, open smile. “I’m glad it’s you, too, Owen. Let’s go.”

“Okay.” Owen lined himself up and found the entrance, carefully pushing himself in against Gavin. The clink of metal moving was the background noise, joining Gavin’s little squeaks. He tried to go slowly so he didn’t hurt Gavin but the pile of coins, as it turned out, couldn’t quite support their weight and collapsed a little, sending Owen toppling forward onto, and into, Gavin. “Oh God, I’m sorry! Are you okay?”

“Fine.” Gavin said faintly, nodding. Several stray coins had ended up on his chest. “Just wait a second.”

Owen nodded, and the second that he waited was the longest second of his life. He couldn’t imagine a place he’d rather be than inside Gavin like this. It was the most amazing thing he’d ever felt, like Gavin had been made for him to fit inside. 

When Gavin finally gave him the okay, Owen started thrusting awkwardly in and out, finding it hard to get a decent momentum because the coins kept shifting under Gavin. He’d thought absently about watching himself go in and out of the prince like he’d done with his fingers, but he ended up watching Gavin’s face instead, squirming and contorting, all because of Owen. 

It was the face that did him in. Owen clutched Gavin’s shoulders and exploded inside of him, crying out from the unexpected force. When it was over he tried not to collapse on Gavin. He was tired but Gaven was shaking him by the arms. “Hey. Hey. You’re not the only one here, you know. I’m not done yet. Keep going, brave knight.”

“Okay.” Owen’s thrusts were slower, lethargic, and he was sore now, and sensitive, but he kept going, until a few minutes later when Gavin suddenly wrapped both arms around Owen’s neck and made the cutest series of sounds Owen could have imagined, spurting all up his chest. 

Panting, Owen pulled out of Gavin and lay beside him on the pile of coins. “Well.” Gavin said, between breaths. “There you go.” 

“Thanks.”

“Anytime. Hey Owen, what were you going to do after you got me back to the castle?”

“Um.” It was hard to think right now, why did Gavin want to ask questions? Now was a sleeping time, Owen thought. “I don’t know. I didn’t plan that part out.”

“Right.” Gavin sounded tired too, at least. “I suppose you wanted to marry my sister.”

“I guess.”

“You could still do that.”

Owen made a face. “Can I marry you instead?”

Gavin laughed, rolled onto his side and look at Owen. “No. But you could kidnap me instead.”

“What?” Rolling over was more effort that he was willing to do, but Owen did it because Gavin had and he had gone through a lot more than Owen. “What do you mean?”

“Well, instead of bringing me back home you could just take me with you.”

“Take you with me. Where?”

Gavin shrugged with one arm. “Wherever. We’ll take all this gold and go on an adventure. There’s another dragon a few miles south of here.” 

“You want to go on an adventure. With me.” The part of Owen’s brain that was incredibly satisfied right now was screaming at him that this was _a great idea._

“Yeah. I’ll be the brains and you’ll be the other thing. We’ll get all kinds of gold and we can have sex whenever we want.”

“I’m in.” Owen said immediately, so quickly that Gavin laughed. 

“I thought that might convince you. Still disappointed that I’m not a princess?”

“Nope.” Owen rolled them both so he was on top of Gavin again, coins sticking to his back. “Some dragon could kidnap all the princesses in the world and I wouldn’t care now.” On instinct, he leaned down and kissed Gavin on the mouth, awkwardly bringing their lips together in a mash that Gavin reciprocated just as badly before he broke away, giggling. “What?”

“You’re terrible at that.”

“So are you.”

“Practice?” 

“Uh-huh.” Owen kissed him again, and this time it was a little better. He could feel Gavin’s hardness suddenly, pressing into his belly. “Really?”

Gavin raised an eyebrow. “I did say whenever we wanted.”

“So you did.” 

They were boys. They had sexual urges. Owen dipped his head down towards Gavin’s as they both indulged in them.


	2. It Is Important to Think About The Future When One Is Embarking upon an Adventure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I liked these characters so I decided to turn this into a thing with more stories about them in what might sorta but not really be a plot.

“I just thought of something.”

“Oh, your poor boy.” Gavin said immediately. “Did it hurt? Do you need to stop and lie down for a while?”

“Fuck you.”

“We just did that this morning, Owen, and you’ve gotten it backwards. Do you need another refresher course?”

“Fuck off!”

“Learn more creative insults.”

“Saving you was a huge mistake.” Owen grumbled, face flushed. “I’m going to fix it by giving you away to the next dragon we meet.”

“But then who would warm your lonely heart at night? Not to mention your lonely…”

“ _Anyway._ ” Owen said, glaring over at Gavin. “I was thinking that people are going to be looking for you.”

“People are already looking for me.” Gavin reminded him. “I was kidnapped by a dragon, remember? Fortunately you found me first. Must have been because of that divining rod in your pants.”

“I meant, that people are going to be looking for you once they realize you’re not with the dragon anymore. Eventually they’ll find that cave and realize someone’s killed it and you’re not there.” 

“Maybe they’ll assume I was eaten.”

“And that the gold in the cave was eaten along with you? By the dead dragon?” Owen asked, wondering just how it was that Gavin could say he was the stupid one. “They’re going to realize that you’re out here somewhere and come looking for you.”

“I suppose so. There will be knights everywhere.” Gavin mused, looking thoughtful. “I hadn’t thought of that. I suppose you’ll have to protect me from them.”

“You think I can beat the kingdom’s knights?” Owen didn’t see why not. He’d killed a dragon. How hard could it be to fight some dudes in armour? 

“The knights who ride huge warhorses and wear impenetrable plate armour? The knights who often have magic swords given to them by wizards and whatnot? The knights who have been training in battle since they were younger than us to be the best fighters in the kingdom and protect the realm from attack? Those knights?”

“Yes, those knights.” The knights who couldn’t manage to find a dragon, Owen reminded himself, trying not to think about any of the things Gavin had just said.

“Yeah, sure.” Gavin suddenly appeared very interested in his horse’s bridle. “You’d be fine.”

“Hey!” Owen said, sensing Gavin’s tone. “I could totally beat a knight.”

“Mm-hm. Sure.” 

“I beat a dragon!”

“A small dragon.”

“It was not small!” Gavin obviously only thought that because he hadn’t had to kill it. 

“Hail, lads!”

They both stopped arguing to look up the road, where a man on a tall horse was approaching them. “Did he just say ‘hail, lads?’” Gavin asked. “Are we in a play?”

The man was approaching them and Owen couldn’t answer without him hearing. “Headed west, are we?” He asked in an unnecessarily bombastic voice. He was wearing full plate armour and helm, his visor up and revealing beady eyes. “Young men out seeing the world?”

“We’re on an adventure.” Gavin answered, smiling. “The road happens to lead west.”

“Indeed it does!” The man declared. “I am Bertrand the Brave, a knight of the realm!” Owen didn’t think either of them had asked, but couldn’t help his stomach clenching a little at the introduction. He sized Bertrand up, trying to decide if he could beat the man. “I am on a quest seeking the prince Gavin, who was assailed and abducted by a fell dragon from the very royal palace itself.”

“I hope he’s okay.” Gavin said blandly. “Though if he gets eaten I could pretend to be him and we could collect the reward money.” While Owen tried not to just…stare, Gavin continued. “People tell me I look like him.”

“They are mistaken, good boy, and I encourage you not to go through with such a deception.” Bertrand intoned. “You will surely be apprehended and executed for treason. The young prince was my squire for a time and I can assure you that the two of you look nothing alike. While you are fair to the eye, a boy of such low birth as yours clearly is could never hope to pass for one born of a noble bloodline.”

Owen bristled but Gavin just blinked up at Bertrand. “I see. Well thank you for that advice, sir. I do hope the prince is alright.” 

“He is.” Bertrand informed them. “I have an intuition about these things. I sense that I am near finding him. Soon I shall rescue him from the scaly clutches of doom!”

“Most gallant of you.” Gavin was holding back laughter, Owen could tell. “There was supposed to be a dragon living in the mountains about three days back that way.” He said, pointing his thumb over his shoulder. 

“A really big one, too.” Owen put in.

“Aha! I knew it!” Bertrand announced. “Wise of you two to stay away from the creature, lads! Bertrand the Brave shall deal with this menace!” 

“I’m sure you will.” Gavin said politely. “Good luck, Sir Bertrand. I’m sure his highness will be happy to see you again.”

“No doubt he shall!” Bertrand told them. “I must be off on my way, lads. Good luck on your adventure!”

“And to you as well.”

“Luck has no bearing on the performance of a knight such as I.” Bertrand said grandly. “But I thank you all the same. I’ve just had a thought.” 

“Should we celebrate?” Owen couldn’t help but ask. He had a feeling this was a rare occurrence.

“Not yet, boy. I’ve had a thought. Perhaps you’ve noticed I’m travelling alone. How would the two of you like to come with me as my squires? The things I could teach you would help you in life for years to come!”

“That’s…”

Gavin cut Owen off before he could say something stupid. “That’s a very kind offer, sir. But we would just get in your way.”

“Undoubtedly! But it would be worth it for the knowledge that I helped to educate two of the generation of tomorrow in the ways of gallantry!”

“No, thank you.” Gavin said firmly. “We really need to head west. And Owen’s afraid of dragons.” 

“I am not!”

“Yes you are.” Gavin said without breaking eye contact with Bertrand. “Godspeed, Sir Bertrand.”

“Alas.” Bertrand declared. “Missed opportunities abound in life. When you are aged I suspect you shall look back on this time and regret it painfully. But far be it from be to get between two lads and their adventure! You remind me of me when I was your age!”

“You flatter us with fictions.” Gavin said. “I’m sure you really must get going now, before the dragon gets hungry.”

“Yes, lad, you’re correct. I have a feeling that fate will bring us together again. Perhaps you two will reconsider my proposal on another day.” And he left, charging his horse up the road without waiting for an answer.

Gavin and Owen watched until he was well out of eyesight, and Owen made a rude gesture. “I hope you get eaten!” He called.

“By the dead dragon?”

“By a different dragon.” Owen said. “You know, one that’s alive.” 

“I literally don’t even know who that was.” Gavin commented, turning his horse so they could keep moving. “Like, I’ve never even heard his name or anything.” 

“I hope all the knights we meet are as big of losers as he is.” 

“Why’s that, dragonslayer?” Gavin asked. “You afraid of all the big strong knights that are going to come to rescue me from your dirty clutches?”

“No!” Owen squeaked, going red again. “Obviously not.” He huffed and they continued along the road for a while. “So, uh. When we do meet other knights, ones who know who you are and stuff. I mean you are going to tell them that…”

“That you took my purity, ravished me on a pile of coins and the dragged me off with you into a life of depravity? Of course.”

“Of course.” Owen sighed, trying to decide how everything had gone so right and so wrong at the same time. “Next dragon we meet.”


	3. Fighting Monsters Is a Crucial Part of Any Adventure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm torn between wanting to write a plot and wanting to continue just writing comes to mind. I will likely attempt both at once, which will be a train wreck. Things to look forward to!

“I’m starting to think you get off on watching me almost die.”

“Nah.” Gavin said, holding the torch high above his head to illuminate more of the cave. “I just have a strong sense of justice and thirst for adventure.”

“It’s just funny how those things always end up with me almost dying.” Owen complained. “Always in some gross cave or something. Why do all these towns have spooky caves in their outskirts?”

“We’re in a pretty mountainous region, Owen. Caves are sort of normal, I think.”

“It isn’t _that_ mountainous.” Owen grumbled. But he didn’t want to have a conversation about geography right now. “I’m just saying, every town we’ve passed through you’ve gone out of your way to find some local legend and make me kill it.”

“I thought you wanted to go on an adventure.” Gavin sighed. “Going around and saving helpless towns from monsters that threaten them is something you do when you’re adventuring, isn’t it?”

“Well, yeah. I guess.” Owen said. “It’s just weird how into it you are all of the sudden. Why do you always have to go and tell everyone about it after like it’s some big story?” 

“Because you’re cute when you’re embarrassed.”

Owen took a deep breath, remembering what he’d planned to say last time Gavin had said something like that. “You’re cute all the time.” 

Gavin coloured and started to stammer something, when something under Owen’s foot snapped and drew both of their attention. 

Gavin moved the torch lower to illuminate a nearly whole complete skeleton, and Owen nearly jumped back, and was proud of himself for stoically stepping away instead. “Looks like we found the missing ranger the townspeople told us about.” Gavin said. 

“Yeah.” Owen drew his sword. Just in case. “Guess we did.”

“There are bite marks on the bones.”

“You mean he was eaten?” Owen asked, trying to see what Gavin was seeing. There did seem to be teeth marks on the skeleton. Most of the clothes had been shredded and a bow was sitting beside it, still strung. “Gross.”

“Yeah. You’d better be careful, Owen. I know from firsthand experience that you taste really good.”

“Gavin, I really don’t think now is the time to be thinking about my cock.”

“I see the merit in what you’re saying.” Gavin said. “But I think there’s an argument to be made that it’s always time for that. Is there light coming from up there?”

Owen looked up to where Gavin was pointing. “Looks like it. Let’s head that way. Being able to see better would be awesome.” 

“Yes.” Gavin followed him and they headed towards the light. Owen wondered if the dead guy had been headed there as well. Maybe that was how whatever lived here had got him. Maybe it waited in the dark for people to look for a light source and then…

“Shit.” Owen turned around and grabbed hold of the front of Gavin’s shirt, ignoring the prince’s squeak as the shoved him aside. As he’d expected, the flash of the torch showed the face of some grey, skeletal creature with a long jaw, leaping towards them. Owen struck out on instinct and hit the monster in the neck, and it fell onto his sword, screaming for a long second before it died. 

“Well then.” Gavin said from the ground, breathing heavily. “That was…Owen!” 

Gavin was looking at something behind him and Owen turned. Another monster was leaping at him and he brought his free arm up to shield his face—maybe he should replace the actual shield he’d had until the dragon had incinerated it—and it grabbed on to his arm and tried to pull it from Owen’s body.

“Fuck you.” Owen growled, wincing when he felt something in his shoulder pop. He brought his sword up and hit the monster with it wildly, killing it with the third hit. It fell to the ground and Owen stumbled backwards.

Gavin caught him, steadied him. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. There might be more.” His shoulder really hurt and Owen couldn’t move his left arm.

“No.” Gavin told him, picking up the torch again and pulling him towards the lighted area. “Ghouls don’t normally live in big packs. If there were more than two, the town would have had a much more serious problem.” 

“Okay.” It was Gavin’s job to know about this shit, so Owen trusted him. The lighted area was full of glittering crystals, which were very pretty, and had a hole in the ceiling that was letting sunlight through. Most of the room was filled with a pool of water, which Gavin had to drag him into to see better. “I didn’t hurt you, did I? When I pushed you?”

“No. I may have scraped my back on the wall but I’ll be fine.”

“Good.” He didn’t know what he’d do with himself if Gavin got hurt, and he really didn’t know what would happen if it turned out that he was the one who’d done it. 

“How did you know that it was behind us?”

“It was where I would have been.”

Gavin nodded, smiling a little bit. “I’m going to take off your armour.”

“Gavin, I really don’t know that now’s the best time…”

“I’m going to look at your arm, you dumbass.” Gavin tossed the torch so it would be on dry ground and went about de-armouring Owen, frowning. “Did it bite you?”

“No. It just pulled on my arm.”

Gavin nodded, inspecting the shoulder. “Does it hurt?”

“Yeah. A little.”

“Okay.” Gavin suddenly wrenched his arm and then it hurt _a lot._

“Ow. What the fuck, Gavin?” Owen pulled away and fell to the ground, shaking out his arm to stop it from hurting. “ _That_ hurt!”

“Oh, shut up, you big baby. You can move it again, can’t you?” Gavin sat beside him in the water, putting a hand on Owen’s arm gently. “Do you need me to kiss it better?”

“Thanks.” Owen said, moving the arm. It still hurt, but less. “Sorry for yelling. I’m definitely right, though. You totally get off on watching me get hurt.”

“No.” Gavin shifted closer to him. “No, Owen. Seeing you get hurt scares the shit out of me.” 

Seeing the look on Gavin’s face made Owen feel kind of bad for what he’d said, and hearing what Gavin was saying made him feel oddly warm. “Well. I guess I’ll try not to do that anymore, then.” 

“That would be nice, thanks.” Gavin trailed a finger up Owen’s arm, gently brushing over the shoulder. “I don’t like watching you get hurt. I do like watching you fight, though.” 

“Is that so?” Owen grinned. “How much do you like that?”

A smirk settled onto Gavin’s face. “Just take off your clothes.”


	4. You Really Shouldn't Underestimate the Power that Stories Have Over Perception

“And then he went to kill the troll under the bridge outside of town, but it wasn’t home so he couldn’t before he left.” 

Gavin just nodded along with the boy’s story, apparently very interested. Owen sat beside him and tried not to scowl. He was tired of hearing stories about Bertrand the Brave and how amazing he was. They’d met and Owen hadn’t been impressed. 

“He said he’d take my Will as a squire.” The boy’s mother told them, and she sounded concerned even though that must have been weeks ago now. “But, I think he’s just too young for something like that, don’t you? I mean at least you two boys waited until you were a little older for your big adventure.”

“Yes, we did.” Gavin said sagely. “Will, if you want to be someone’s squire the training school is in the capital. Make sure you go there for proper training.”

“I’m sure Sir Bertrand could give me proper training.” The boy protested. He really was too young to squire, Owen thought. “Even prince Gavin squired for him. He’s amazing.”

“Yes, he is.” Gavin said, smiling and ignoring how Owen’s scowl intensified. “Do you know what I heard? I heard that he killed a dragon and saved prince Gavin from its clutches.”

Owen stood and went outside to be annoyed out there while the small group of people listening to the story oohed and aahed about that. Stupid people. Like killing a dragon was a big deal. Owen had done that with armour that didn’t fit and a sword he’d found in a ditch. If a knight like Bertrand couldn’t do that with his shiny armour and real sword, Owen thought the kingdom was doomed.

Gavin joined him a few minutes later as he was kicking at loose stones outside the inn they were staying at. “Are you done pouting?”

“I’m not pouting.”

“Whatever you say.”

“It’s just…” Owen stopped short of blowing up and took several breaths. “Why do you have to give that guy all the credit? Telling everyone we meet that he saved you. _I_ saved you.”

“I know, I was there. It was a pretty memorable afternoon.” Owen flushed, but Gavin kept going. “I also know that people are looking for me, and for us by extension. I’m happy to have them looking for Bertrand instead.”

“What about when they find him and realize he doesn’t have you?”

“They’ll probably assume he’s hiding me somewhere and arrest him.”

“That seems…” Owen paused, thinking about it. He hadn’t liked Bertrand and certainly was tired of hearing a million stories about him in every town they went to, but getting him arrested seemed like a bit much. “Kind of mean.”

Gavin shrugged. “Whatever. He’s a creep.” 

“He’s a loser and a liar, but I don’t know about putting him in jail.”

Gavin gave him a strange look and sighed. “Owen. You do know that knights usually have sex with their squires, right?”

“What?” Owen turned to look at the prince, surprised. “Really? I thought that was just, you know, a myth.” Knights were supposed to be about gallantry and chivalry. Sexing it up with young boys all over the place didn’t really fit that image in Owen’s head.

“You thought that was a myth but that a princess would fall in love with you if you saved her from a dragon?” Gavin asked. “You’re messed up in the head.”

“Shut up.” Owen looked away, a little embarrassed. Whatever, so he’d had strange ideas about the world. That had been when he was a kid. Like, two months ago. 

“Anyway, they do.”

“Okay.” Owen said, not sure how he felt about that. “What does that…oh God. He offered to make that little boy his squire.” 

“Yeah.” Gavin said, plainly unhappy. “And how many times have we heard that exact same story?”

“Oh my God.” Gavin thought about that and suddenly felt torn between mad and sick. “He is a creep. He…he offered to make us his squires!”

“Yes, he did.”

“I’m going to kill him.” Owen looked around for his sword, realized he’d left it up in their room. “We’re going to turn around and I’m going to kill him.”

“That’s why I’m setting the knights on him, okay?”

“Okay, but…oh, fuck, he’s been telling people that _you_ were his squire!”

“Yeah.”

“Gavin!” Now Owen was just pissed. “No. That’s. No. I’m going to fucking murder him. I’m going to skin him alive. Let’s go, right now.” 

“We’re sending the knights after him.”

“I know, but I want to kill him. He’s going around telling people that he had sex with you!” He realized that his voice was getting a little loud and tried to quiet down a little. “I’m…the only one who’s allowed to do that. Not that I would!”

“I know you wouldn’t.” In complete defiance of the fact that people might see them outside, Gavin leaned over and kissed Owen on the cheek. “That’s why you’re the one who’s allowed to.”

“I…” Owen felt more flustered at that than he would have at any number of ribald comments. “I love you.”

Gavin blinked, and went uncharacteristically red himself. “I…holy shit, Owen. Way to change the subject.”

“I’m not changing the subject. Everything about this has to do with the fact that I love you.”

“I…well, I love you too, Owen.”

Owen just smiled. “That makes me really happy, Gavin. _You_ make me really happy. It pisses me off that this jerk is going around talking about you like that. I wish I could protect you from this.”

“Protect me from dragons.” Gavin said, taking Owen’s hand and kissing the knuckles. “Okay? Let me protect you from knights trying to kill you. And the kingdom’s impressionable young boys from Bertrand the Brave.”

“All from a thousand miles away.” Owen was legitimately more impressed by what Gavin was doing than anything he’d managed. 

“We have our talents. You know what I think we should do?”

“Go upstairs?” Owen suggested, raising his eyebrows.

“Yes.” Gavin giggled a little. “But only to get your sword for now. First I think we should go kill that troll under the bridge outside of town. Give Will someone else to idolize instead of that creep.” 

“Oh, God.” Owen realized. “This is why you’ve had me killing things near every town we’ve been to.” He’d been starting to think that Gavin was just bloodthirsty. But he’d…just really thought this whole thing out from the beginning. 

“Yes.” Gavin started to lead him back into the inn. “I want to get tales of Dauntless Owen spreading far and wide. You’re a much better role model than any knight.” 

“I left home to almost get killed by a dragon just so I could fuck a pretty girl.” Owen reminded Gavin. “Kids really shouldn’t be following in my footsteps.”

“We’ll leave that bit out of the mythmaking.” Gavin decided. “As far as the stories are concerned, you’re a chaste hero whose only love is Justice.”

“Do I have to be chaste in real life?” Owen asked, alarmed.

“No, dumbass. And don’t start calling me Justice in bed. That would be weird.”

“I’m totally going to start calling you Justice in bed.” He did wonder sometimes at Gavin’s ability to know what he was thinking before he said it. 

Gavin just sighed and pulled Owen into another quick kiss. “You have no idea what you do to me.”

“I think that’s my line.”

“Let’s go kill a troll.”


	5. A Little Troll Murder to Get the Juices Flowing Never Hurt Anyone (Except the Troll)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sexytimes ahead!

“When did you learn how to use a bow so well?” 

“A really long time ago.” Gavin said, sitting on the dead troll’s leg and unstringing the bow. “You didn’t think I was carrying this around because it looked cool, do you?”

“I guess not.” Owen said, looking from Gavin to the troll’s eyes, or rather the arrows sticking out from the troll’s eyes. “I just wasn’t expecting you to be so good.”

“You have to remember I lived in a castle. There were people whose entire jobs were to make sure I was good at things.”

“I feel like a bit of an asshole.”

“Why?”

“Well…” Owen looked away, sheathing his sword as he did. “I’ve been kind of assuming you couldn’t fight. You know, that I needed to protect you and stuff.” 

“You do.” Gavin said, sliding off the troll’s leg and stretching. “I think any number of fights we’ve had recently should have proved that. I mean I can fend for myself to an extent, but a guy with a bow isn’t much use against a ten-foot troll on his own.”

“You’re the one who killed it, though!”

“After you fought it for half an hour, wounded it and had it distracted. You did see that it sort of just shrugged off my first few shots, right?”

“Right, I guess so.” Owen could see what Gavin was saying, he really could. But he couldn’t help but feel a little unnecessary. “I don’t want you telling everyone that I killed it. That isn’t fair. You deserve the credit.”

“That puts a bit of a dent in the story we’re telling about you, don’t you think?” Gavin asked with raised eyebrows. 

“Well, why can’t there be two of us in the story?”

“I guess.” Gavin looked back at the troll, waving Owen to come with him as he walked up the hill to where the bridge was. “Maybe I’ll cut my hair.”

“I like your hair.” It was an automatic response while Owen processed the sudden change of topic. 

“That’s hardly relevant since you like everything about me.” Gavin informed him. “You’d still like my hair if I cut it, I think.”

“Well, yeah. I mean it would still be yours, so I’d love it either way.” It was getting a little easier to deliver frankly mortifying lines like that, and worth it for the way Gavin coloured. 

“Anyway. I think I’ll cut it short. And maybe try to dye it a different colour.”

“Why?”

“If I can do that, I’d look a little different. Maybe be a little harder to identify. And a little harder to find.” Gavin gave him a significant look and Owen finally understood what he was getting at. 

“That makes sense.” He said. “It’s probably a good idea.” 

Gavin rolled his eyes with a good-natured smile. “I don’t have _probably_ good ideas, Owen.”

“Some of your ideas have been questionable.” Owen didn’t really think he could back that up, but it was worth a shot.

“Hm. I’m having questionable ideas right now, actually.” Gavin said, giving Owen a familiar look. 

“Really? Right now?”

“Why not? There isn’t anyone around.” 

Well, that was pretty much the only reason that Owen might have had for saying no. But he thought he should mention the danger anyway. “There might be soon.”

“But there might not be. Besides, it won’t take long.” 

“Well…” Owen looked around, didn’t see anyone approaching on the road on either side of the dead troll’s bridge. “Okay.”

He started to unbuckle his armour, but Gavin just dropped to his knees right there and went right for the laces on his pants, undoing them faster than Owen could have and shoving them down to his hips, moving Owen’s smallclothes aside to get access to his quickly hardening cock. Gavin took it in his mouth and started sucking on it urgently. 

“Holy shit, Gavin.” Owen put his hands on Gavin’s head instinctively, but made an effort not to push him further down like he very much wanted to. Owen was soon at full stiffness and Gavin had to pull back a bit to not choke. He started circling and prodding the head of Owen’s cock with his tongue, prompting a little gasp from Owen.

He wasn’t going to be able to handle this for long. Owen really wanted to, really wanted to make as much of an effort as he could to hold it in for as long as possible. But it was too much, too sudden, the fact that they were outside too exciting and… “Fuck, Gavin.”

He came in Gavin’s mouth in hard spurts that must have burned the prince’s throat going down, but Gavin kept sucking and swallowed them all without hesitation, staying latched on to Owen until he was sure there was no more coming. Only then did he pull off, flushed in the face, and stand, smirking.

Owen barely let him get to his feet before tackling Gavin to the ground with a grunt and kissing him forcefully, drawing a perverse pleasure from tasting himself in Gavin’s mouth. But kissing wasn’t what he was here for and Owen crawled downwards as quickly as he could. “My turn now.”

“Be my guest.” Gavin was already unlacing his own pants and Owen slapped his hands away, grabbed the pants and pulled them down until they caught on Gavin’s ankles. He went down on Gavin as soon as he was exposed, lapping at his cock with his tongue to get it hard. 

As soon as it was, Gavin pulled off for a second, long enough to stick his fingers in his mouth and swirl them around to get them wet. Gavin whimpered as Owen slid one finger inside him, less gently than he might normally have done but still with considerable restraint considering. He worked it around quickly, stretching, making room for the second finger that he slid in as he took Gavin back into his mouth. 

“Ng. Going to fuck you.” Gavin said as Owen let his bottom teeth scrape along his shaft, because he knew Gavin liked that. “When we get back to the inn. Going to fuck you till you can’t move.” Owen’s fingers found that spot that Gavin had trained him to look for and he rubbed it as hard as he could, listening as Gavin’s declarations degenerated into a series of grunts and repetitions of Owen’s name. 

A wordless cry and Owen’s mouth was filled with heat. Some of it leaked out because that was just how gravity worked, but Owen swallowed as much of it as he could. Gavin always seemed to cum a lot. He pulled off when he thought Gavin was done, only to be rewarded with one last weak spurt that hit his chin. Panting, he crawled back up to lay beside Gavin on the grass.

Gavin had other ideas, and pulled him into another tooth-clattering kiss, cleaning out every corner of Owen’s mouth with his tongue. Without actually deciding to Owen kissed back, pulling Gavin closer to him. They were both still hard and their wet shafts rubbed against one another, at first incidentally and then very much on purpose as the two boys started rutting against one another.

It hurt—Owen was sensitive from a minute ago and Gavin had to have been as well, and the contact hurt a little bit. But that didn’t stop him from reaching down and grabbing them both, jerking as they kissed, nor did it stop Gavin from doing the same, so that both of their hands were wrapped around them, adding to the sensation of their cocks rubbing together. 

Gavin came first, groaning deeply into Owen’s mouth. That surprised Owen, but he followed soon after, adding to the sticky, hot mess on their hands and bellies. Only then did they break apart, gasping for breath side by side on the grass. 

“I love you.” Gavin said, after a couple of minutes filled with nothing but heavy breathing. 

“I love you.” Owen repeated, not able to think of much else. 

“I don’t think I’m going to move for a while. I’m just going to have a nap here.”

“Me too.” Owen could already feel sleep coming for him. “People might see us here.”

“Who the fuck cares. Like two boys getting each other off is such a new thing.”

“Yeah.” Owen panted, agreeing with Gavin’s apathy on the subject. He’d probably be mortified later, but now he was too satisfied and tired. “Thought you wanted to tell stories about me as a chaste hero who only loves Justice.”

“Fuck Justice.” Gavin shifted a little, took Owen’s sticky hand in his. “And fuck that story. Instead I’m going to make you a virile and sexually healthy hero who has frequent and vigourous sex with his companion.” 

“Awesome sex, too.” Owen added. “Like, really good sex.”

“Yeah.” Gavin yawned.

“Yeah.” If either of them said anything after that Owen didn’t remember when he woke up later.


	6. Thinking on One's Feet is a Very Useful Life Skill

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little plot building.

“There are people on horses coming up the road!”

“Are they knights?”

“I don’t know—Owen, are they knights?” 

Owen squinted up the road, looking where the children were pointing. There were definitely some mounted people coming, what looked like a pretty big group of them. “Could be.” He told the kids. Some of the riders were definitely armoured. 

“Let’s go see!” Lily, one of the girls, said, leading the other four children in a charge to the fence that lined the roadside. 

Owen sighed. It had been Gavin’s idea for him to take the local kids out and teach them some things about swordplay in this field outside of the town. He was having more fun than he’d expected playing with sticks, but kids were exhausting. And he was a little miffed that Gavin got to stay at the inn and gossip while he babysat for half the town. At a slightly slower pace that would still get him to the fence before the riders passed by, he followed after the children. 

“It’s definitely knights!” One of the boys reported when Owen arrived, and by then Owen could see that for himself. Nobody else would be so finely armoured. There were four of them, and the rest of the party looked like squires or vassals, making for nearly twenty people. Owen’s belly clenched. There was only one thing that a group of this many would be looking for out here. 

The kids climbed up onto the fence to wave at the knights and Owen felt a little bit of second-hand embarrassment for them, though he probably would have done the same when he was younger. Knights were cool, after all. The knights didn’t slow at all, but their leader did smile at the children and wave back. Her face was familiar, Owen thought, but he didn’t have time to think about that before Lily fell off the fence, tumbling onto the road. “Shit.”

The head knight reared her horse up to avoid stepping on Lily and Owen vaulted the fence, leaping forward as he landed and pulling Lily off the road. The horse’s hooves came down right where she’d been sitting. She was frozen stiff. “You okay?”

Lily nodded, eyes wide. “You saved me, Owen.”

“You need to be more careful.” He told her. “All of you get off that fence before you fall.” The kids obeyed, climbing over and down so they were on the side of the road.

“Those are some fast reflexes.” The head knight said, and Owen looked up, expression guarded. The entire party had stopped. “Especially wearing armour.” The kids had insisted that Owen wear his armour and real sword, despite the fact that they were all, including him, using sticks to avoid hurting each other. “You’re quite the…qualified nanny, aren’t you?”

She was very pretty, Owen noticed, in a way that might have made it difficult for him to speak a few months ago. “You’ve obviously never dealt with a group of kids.” He told her, trying to affect disinterest. “You’d wear your armour too. Sir.” 

“Are you all out looking for Prince Gavin, sir knights?” One of the boys asked, not able to contain himself.

The head knight’s eyes narrowed, first on the boy who had spoken and then on all of them. “Now, how did you know that?”

“I knew it.” The boy said, turning to his friends. “Just like Sir Bertrand. How come you’re not out looking for the prince, Owen?”

“Because that’s what real knights are for, Tom.” Owen said, not quite taking his eyes off the head knight. He really didn’t like that look on her face. “Listen, kids. The knights are probably tired from traveling and maybe hungry too. Why don’t you run back to town and tell your parents they’re coming so the cook at the inn can make something for them to eat?”

There was a chorus of ‘awws’ and protests, but the head knight smiled. “That would be most helpful to our cause, children. Perhaps while we eat we can tell you some stories of our adventures.” That perked the children right up, even Lily, and within seconds they were racing down the road to the town, leaving Owen with the knights. He stood and brushed grass from his pants. 

“I’m sorry about them.” He said vaguely, watching them disappear around a bend. Now Gavin would have some warning before the knights got to the town, he thought. “They’re easily excited.”

“Not you, though.” The knight said, dismounting her horse. “It’s unusual for someone to be so anxious in the company of knights. Unless they’ve done something wrong, of course.”

“Your experience with knights has obviously been different than mine.”

“Undoubtedly.” The knight looked at him for a minute. “My name is Gabrielle. How is it that some children in such a rural area came to know that Prince Gavin is missing?”

“Are you serious?” Owen looked at Gabrielle, who had removed her helmet and was straightening out her blonde hair, and was again struck with how familiar she looked. He was pretty sure he had never seen her before, though. “Everyone everywhere knows that he’s missing. He was kidnapped by a dragon. I’ve known for two months.” That was technically untrue, since he’d thought Gavin a princess at first, but whatever.

“I see.” Gabrielle frowned. “I told them trying to keep it a secret wouldn’t work.” 

“Dragons are pretty hard to keep secret, I think.”

“They are awfully big, aren’t they?” She tilted her head a little. “We’ve heard stories of that Bertrand the children mentioned. Who is he?”

“A knight, or at least he pretends to be.” Owen said, not bothering to keep the distaste from his voice. “I met him a few weeks ago, he’s a creep. He keeps offering to make kids his squires.”

That earned a dark scowl. “I think we’ll have a conversation with this Bertrand when we catch up to him.”

“On behalf of every kid I’ve played big brother for to drive him out of their minds, thanks. He also claims he’s going to rescue the prince. I’m Owen, by the way.” Gabrielle’s scowl darkened, and Owen smiled on the inside. Gavin’s plan was working. 

“Would you be so kind as to escort us to the town, Master Owen?”

“Just Owen, not a master.” 

“Not a knight, either.” Gabrielle said, mounting her massive horse again. Owen wondered if the other knights were allowed to talk, or if their job was just to sit there and look intimidating. They did a pretty good job, if that were the case. 

“I don’t pretend to be.”

“You don’t want to be?”

“Why would I?” Owen asked. “No offense. But this works for me just fine.”

Gabrielle nodded. “Our calling isn’t for everyone. I’d like to hear more about you once we’re in the village.”

“It’s a boring story.” Owen lied, smiling. “But if you want to hear it, I suppose I can’t say no. Maybe I’ll listen to your stories when you tell the children too.” 

The village wasn’t far, but with Owen on foot it took them longer to get there than it might have had the knights been alone. It gave the kids plenty of time to warn their parents, and Gavin, who was coming to meet them. When they finally arrived, there was food made, the children were off being scrubbed to be made presentable, and Gavin was nowhere to be seen in the inn’s common room. Owen tried not to sigh in visible relief. 

“You’ll need a bath too, young man.” The innkeeper declared as the knights were seated and given drinks. When Owen made a face, she continued. “If you’re so dauntless, I don’t expect some hot water and soap will give you any trouble. Off with you, now.” She was a huge woman and Owen coloured a little at how loudly she had said that. He didn’t think the people in the next town over had quite heard her. 

Gabrielle laughed openly at him. “We’ll still be here when you get back, Just Owen.” 

“Fine, God.” Owen scowled. “Let me go upstairs and get rid of my armour and sword first.” The innkeeper nodded suspiciously, giving him a fishy look, and Owen’s colour deepened as he suddenly wondered if perhaps he and Gavin had been too loud last night after all. 

He took the stairs slowly, trying to appear unhappy, but hurried to their room once he was out of sight. Gavin was sitting on the bed, dagger pointed at him. He put it away with a sigh when Owen came in. “Good thinking sending the kids back first.” He said, by way of greeting.

Owen sat on the bed beside him with a sigh. “I was so fucking worried they were going to find you.” 

“Worried they were going to kill you when they found me, you mean.”

“Worried they were going to take you away from me.” Gavin smiled at that, and leaned over to give Owen a kiss. 

“How many of them are there?”

“Four, plus all the people with them. Their leader’s name is Gabrielle.” Maybe Gavin would know her, know something about her. 

The way his eyes widened suggested that yes, Gavin knew her. “Are you fucking kidding me? Tell me you made that up, Owen.”

“No, why?” Worry wormed at him again. Maybe she was some terrifying knight. She had seemed nice enough. 

“She’s not a knight. I mean, she is, she took the vows and did the training and all that. But Gabrielle is my sister.” 

Owen blinked, unable to make words for a moment. “Your sister.” 

“Yeah. You did notice that we look the same?”

“You don’t!” Owen said in his defense, though now that Gavin said that, they were similar. “You’re prettier.”

Gavin rolled his eyes. “Yes, you dumb fuck, I told you that already.”

“Oh my God.” Owen flopped down on the bed, starting to panic now that what Gavin had said was setting in. “Your sister’s here. The one who I thought I was rescuing at first. She wouldn’t have needed me to rescue her because she’s a fucking knight.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m such an idiot.” The whole fantasy he’d had about rescuing the princess was looking stupider and stupider as time went on. 

“Yeah, but you’re my idiot.” Gavin said, laying down beside him. “So no falling in love with my sister.”

“I won’t!” Owen felt hot, got up to face Gavin. “I won’t, Gavin.” 

“I was joking, dumbass.” Gavin shook his head. “God, I love you.”

“I love you too.” Owen mumbled, reaching up to unbuckle his armour. “Do you think she can tell that I wanted to sleep with her?”

“I expect she’s used to it.” Gavin said, watching Owen with the same look of general interest he always had when Owen was undressing. “I’m going to sneak out.”

“Why?” Owen didn’t see what Gavin was getting at. “It’s not like they’re going to come up here and search for you. Just stay up here.”

“Owen, this inn has four rooms, and Gabrielle and her friends are knights. You understand that you’re sleeping in the stable tonight, don’t you?”

“Oh.” In Owen’s defense, he would have gotten there eventually. “Well, I do now. Okay. But where are you going to go?”

“I’ll leave town.” Gavin said, sitting up. “I’ll wait for you down the road, in the next town or at an inn or something.” 

A million terrible things that might happen to Gavin occurred to Owen and he frowned. “I don’t like that idea. I’ll leave with you.”

“That would look suspicious. It’s bad enough that they’re going to hear about your companion who suddenly isn’t here. If you vanish as well there’s a good chance they’ll follow us to find out why.” 

“But…”

“Owen.” Gavin stood and started looking around the room for his things. “You need to stay here and make nice with my sister and her friends so they don’t start wondering about you. Leave in the morning. Keep following the road. You’ll find me, or I’ll find you.”

“I…” Owen sighed. He knew Gavin was right, but that didn’t mean he was happy about it. “I’m going to worry about you.”

“And I’m going to worry about you.” Gavin put a hand on Owen’s cheek and smiled. “We’ll be fine.” 

When Gavin said it Owen believed it. “If you say so.”

“I do say so. Do you have time before you need to go back down?”

“The innkeeper’s making me have a bath. Like I’m some kind of kid.” Owen grumbled. 

But Gavin just grinned. “That works out nicely. I can make you all dirty before you go down. We’ll call it a parting gift.” 

“Worried I’ll forget you, Your Highness?” Owen asked, standing and wrapping his arms around Gavin. 

“Not even a little bit.” Gavin kissed him on the chin before shoving him back down onto the bed and climbing on top of him. “But it never hurts to make sure.”


	7. All Life Choices are Valid, but Properly Justifying them Makes Things Easier

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Direct continuation of the last chapter.

“Why don’t you want to be a knight, Owen?” 

Owen glanced over at Gabrielle. She had offered to walk him out of town and nobody else was around. “You’re the one who said it wasn’t for everyone.” 

“It’s not.” She said, looking at him strangely. “But most boys your age think it’s for them.” 

“I’m not that much younger than you.” Owen grumbled. “Is it that strange that someone knows what he wants?”

“Yes.” 

Owen sighed. He wanted to be on the road and away, chasing after Gavin. He knew that Gavin was fine, he really did, but the longer they were apart, the more time Owen’s mind had to spin tales about what might be happening to Gavin in his absence. “What made you want to be a knight?”

“What, women can’t be knights?” 

“I didn’t say that.” They hadn’t crossed swords, but Owen was pretty sure Gabrielle would kill him if they did. What he’d actually wanted to know was why a princess had become a knight, but he couldn’t ask that without her knowing what he’d been told about her. “I’m just curious.” 

Gabrielle looked away and for a moment it looked like she might not answer. “I have a younger brother. When I was a little girl I thought I should protect him since I was the older. I had a friend who also had a brother, so we insisted on learning how to fight. I was good at it.”

“I bet.” She’d had a castle full of people to make sure of that, Owen thought, recalling Gavin’s words from a while back. “What about your friend?”

“She was good at it too, but she didn’t become a knight in the end.”

“What happened?”

“She met a boy.” Gabrielle shrugged when she said it, as if it were the stupidest thing she’d ever heard. “She liked him. She thought he might not like her if he knew she could break his face in half, so she took up needlepoint instead. They’re getting married next year.” 

“Good for them.”

“Yeah.” 

“But you became a knight.”

“Wanting to protect my brother became wanting to protect other people as well. That’s what we do.” She looked at him. “It’s what you do too, from what I’ve heard. You’d be a good knight.” 

“Maybe.” Owen said, looking down the road. The heartfelt feeling that was obvious in Gabrielle’s attempt to protect her brother—Gavin—made Owen feel like an asshole for keeping him from her. 

“There’s nothing wrong with being a freerider if that’s what you want to do.” Gabrielle added. “I’m not trying to make you feel bad.”

“I know.” Owen laughed. “I really am happy with the choices I’ve made.” They had led to him meeting Gavin and being able to spend this part of their lives together. He found himself wishing that didn’t have to mean Gavin’s family didn’t get to see him, though. 

“You should ride with my company, then.” 

Owen turned in surprise. “What?”

She shrugged. “You must have noticed I’ve got freeriders with me already. I could use one more. I’d pay you.” 

Owen almost laughed at the fact that the princess was offering him a place working for her. That was exactly what he’d wanted a few months ago. “I can’t.” He said, without even an ounce of regret. 

“Because of your partner.”

“Yes.” Owen said. “I have to catch up with him. Otherwise I’ll hear about it.”

“Why did you lie to me about him leaving?”

Owen tensed. “I didn’t.”

“You did. You said he had to go carry an important message to the next village. That really couldn’t have waited until this morning?” 

“It was…really important.” Owen said, and he would have been shuffling his feet if they hadn’t been walking.

“I think that your partner didn’t want to meet a bunch of knights. Especially given how long you spent up there talking to him after we got back to the inn, and that you sent the children back to warn him we were coming.” Owen had to stop his hand from drifting down to his sword, remembering that she probably would kill him if he did. 

Also, murdering a princess wasn’t really something he was in the market to be doing.

“Owen. Why is your friend afraid of knights? Did he commit a crime?”

“I don’t think I should tell you that.”

“I’ve got more important things to do than hunt down some petty thief.” Gabrielle’s exasperation was pretty clear. “And I don’t imagine you’d be travelling with a murderer or rapist or anything horrid like that. What did he do?”

“He…” Owen bit the inside of his cheek and didn’t answer for a second. He had actually thought up an answer to this question last night just in case it came up, but he wasn’t sure if it would fly. “He failed out of training.” 

“Ah.” Gabrielle seemed to accept that, and Owen tried not to do a happy dance. “He wanted to be a knight.”

“Yeah. Turns out he wasn’t good at it, I guess.” 

“It’s not for everyone.” Gabrielle repeated. “It doesn’t mean anything, just that his skills weren’t in the same areas as ours.”

“Yeah, I think he gets that.” Gavin was going to laugh at him when he found out about this whole fiction. “But still. It’s a bit of a sore point for him, I think.”

“I suppose that makes sense.” Gabrielle nodded. “Okay. I’m going to let you go, now. I suspect we’ll meet again and you’ve got a partner to catch up to.”

“And you’ve got a brother to rescue.” Owen said, not quite meeting her eye and wishing he didn’t feel like such a shit. 

Gabrielle stopped, looked at him in the same way that Gavin sometimes did. “Well. There’s more to you than what’s on the surface, isn’t there?”

“I guess I’m not the only one.”

“I guess not.” They stood looking at each other for a minute before Gabrielle nodded up the road. “Go.”

“Yeah.” Owen mounted his horse, urging it into a trot. Gabrielle watched him and when Owen was a few feet away he stopped. “Gabrielle. If he’s anything like you, Gavin’s fine.” 

“I know that.” She called back. “But he’s still my little brother.”

“Yeah.” 

“Owen. Why don’t you want to become a knight?”

Owen thought about not answering. It would be easy to just turn and head up the road, ignore the question. “I used to want to.” 

“What happened?”

He thought about Gavin’s smile, and his wit and his determination, and how sure he was that everything was going to work out if they just worked hard enough to make sure it did, and how much faith he had in Owen. And he smiled, shrugged. “I met a boy.”


	8. The Heart Isn't the Only Thing that Grows Fonder with Absence

Three days. 

It had been _three days_ since Owen had left that town following after Gavin. Gavin was supposed to have waited for him in the next town along the road. It should have taken Owen a day, a day and a half at best to reach him. 

Three days later he was still looking. Gavin hadn’t been in that town and nobody had recognized his description. He hadn’t been in the next town either and Owen wasn’t afraid to admit he was starting to panic.

_Just keep following the road. You’ll find me, or I’ll find you._ Gavin had told him when they’d last seen each other. That was the only thing keeping Owen sane at this point. Gavin had promised that they would find each other again. It wasn’t that he’d run away or hidden from Owen or anything like that—Owen faith that Gavin wouldn’t do that was unshakable. But his faith that Gavin hadn’t been attacked or found or captured wasn’t quite as strong as it should be despite knowledge that Gavin could take perfectly good care of himself. 

Owen hurried down the road as quickly as he could without urging his horse to a full-on run, and that only because he didn’t want to tire the poor thing out and have to stop and let it rest for hours that he didn’t want to waste. There should be another town up the road a few miles. Maybe Gavin was there. 

Gavin _was_ there. Owen repeated that to himself over and over as he rode, paying attention to little else. Gavin was there in the next town. He didn’t see much of the scenery and if there were other people on the road Owen certainly didn’t see them either. He could hear his breathing and his horse’s breathing and the sound of hoofbeats on the road and that was it. 

That was probably why it took him so long to realize someone was following him, and even then that was only because whoever it was was also shouting his name. “Owen!” He heard finally. “Slow down, you dumb fuck!” A hand fell on his shoulder and Owen spun in his saddle to see who it was.

Gavin stared back at him, out of breath in his saddle and with dirt all over his face and hair that was cut short and coloured black, but it was obviously Gavin and Owen couldn’t hide the look of sheer relief that crossed his face as he reigned in his horse all at once. “Gavin.” He wanted to leap from the saddle and jump on him, but Gavin stopped a few feet in front of him.

“You didn’t hear me call you when you passed me a while back?”

“I passed you?”

“I was waiting in that thicket of trees a bit back. I’m camping there. I threw a rock at you and everything.”

“You’re camping?” What the hell was Gavin up to?

“Yeah. Look, let’s go back and we’ll talk, okay?”

“Yeah.” Owen turned around and Gavin led him back down the road. “Why aren’t you in a town?”

“I saw someone I recognized there.” Gavin said. “I didn’t want to risk it.” 

“Did you do that to your hair?”

“You don’t like it?”

“It looks really good.” Owen said automatically. 

“Somehow I thought you’d say that.” Gavin smiled. 

The thicket was actually pretty large now that Owen was seeing it, and Gavin led him off the road and into trees, a fair distance from the road. “How did you know I was coming?”

“I watched the road a lot.” Gavin said simply. “I was waiting for you.” A few more feet and he dismounted, hobbling his horse on a tree branch. Owen did the same and three seconds after his feet hit the ground Gavin slammed him into a tree and kissed him so hard that one of them drew blood. 

“Gavin…”

“I think.” Gavin said, pulling away with a fierce look in his eyes. “That we’ll take off our clothes now and talk later, okay?”

Owen wanted to make a clever quip at that about how much Gavin had missed him and maybe tease him a little, make it harder for him. But the look Gavin was giving him made it pretty hard to think about anything else. “Yeah.” 

He unlaced his pants first because he knew Gavin, and then hastily started pulling his armour off—he was getting pretty good at it. By the time he got that over his head and lifted his shirt, Gavin was already undressed and pulling something out of the pocket of his pants before tossing them side. Owen unlaced his boots and stood to kick them off as Gavin uncorked the bottle of oil and just poured it right onto his erection, and then his fingers. Owen got his pants down and Gavin all but tore his smallclothes off and stuck two fingers inside Owen with absolutely no ceremony. “Fuck!”

“In a minute.” Gavin grunted, using his free hand to help Owen the rest of the way out of his pants and smallclothes, tossing them away. Owen’s knees went weak and Gavin helped him lay down on the dirt. 

The burn of Gavin’s fingers was reduced a little as he pulled them out, but then Gavin shoving Owen’s legs aside and pushing inside him, burying himself to the hilt in one thrust, drawing a rather pitiful sound from Owen in the process. 

Neither of them were going to last long and neither of them intended to. Gavin grabbed Owen’s cock with his oiled hand and started pumping it roughly, thrusting in and out of Owen with force enough that Owen could feel them making a rut in the dirt. It couldn’t have been more than a minute before Owen could feel Gavin filling him up with warmth, and the thought had him shooting too, covering his chest. 

Gavin let out a panting breath and collapsed on top of Owen, smearing the cum all over both of them. He didn’t pull out and he didn’t take his hand off of Owen. Owen just reached up and wrapped his arms around Gavin possessively. “I missed you too.”

“Don’t think I’m done with you.” Gavin said from Owen’s shoulder. “Just resting.”

“I was worried about you.”

“I was worried about you too.” 

“I’m okay.”

“Me too.”

“Okay.”

“Okay.” Gavin sighed, and the two of them lay like that for a while, in silence except for each other’s breathing. The horses were looking at them kind of funny but Owen didn’t care. 

Finally, Gavin lifted his head a little. “How were things with Gabrielle? You got away okay?”

“Yeah.” Owen nodded. “She tried to hire me. And I had to tell her you’d failed out of squire training, but she let me go without any trouble.” 

“Good.” Owen knew Gavin would have more to say on it later, but for now he was content to rest his head on Owen’s shoulder again. 

“She misses you a lot.” Owen said. “She’s really worried about you, you know.” 

“Yeah.” Gavin sounded a little guilty, but not as guilty as Owen felt. “I guess I’m kind of a jerk.”

“I was thinking more that I am.”

“That’s because you’re a hopeless martyr.” Gavin shifted a little, sliding on the slick between them. “I should write her a letter. So that she doesn’t have to think I’m dead or something.” 

“That’s a good idea, but how are you going to…”

“I’ll find someone who can deliver it to the capital. I’ll write one for my parents too.”

“What are you going to tell them?” Owen was very aware of Gavin still inside him, not diminishing at all. His shifting had put him right against that spot inside him and he had to resist the urge to move, to bounce Gavin or something and make him do something about it. 

“That I’m fine. That I’m on an adventure, and in love. I’ll ask them to stop looking for me, but they won’t.” 

“I wouldn’t expect them to.” Owen thought about it, now feeling a little guilty about something else. “Maybe I should write a letter for my mom too. Tell her the same thing.” 

Gavin nodded. “I want you to take me to your village someday.”

“I’d like that. Maybe in the spring?”

“Maybe.” Gavin lifted his head again and looked up at Owen. “We should do that, and then get off the road. It’s too easy for us to run into the wrong people on the road.” 

Owen thought about it for a second, but he already knew Gavin was right. He’d been thinking the same thing. “We could go south.”

“I was thinking north.”

Owen lifted his head now. “Why? It’s going to be winter soon.”

“It’s cold everywhere in the winter, Owen, going south wouldn’t help.” Owen scowled because that didn’t mean they should intentionally go to the colder of the two options, but Gavin wasn’t done. “Besides, people go south in the winter, that’s where they’re going to look.”

“Oh.” Owen supposed that made sense. “Okay, north is cool.”

“There’s a town I’d like to visit.” Gavin told him, lifting himself up and pushing into Owen experimentally. Owen bucked his hips a little in response. “It’s called Merket.” 

“What’s there?” Owen had never heard of the place, which probably wasn’t surprising.

“Not sure.” Gavin admitted. “But people call it the Capital of Adventures. Apparently it’s the go-to place for quests and challenges for heroes like you, Dauntless Owen.” He squeezed Owen’s cock and smiled at the gasp he got in reply. “What do you think?”

“Let’s go there.” Owen said. It sounded like they’d find something to keep their attention there. 

“Alright, then.” Squeezing again, Gavin leaned down and kissed Owen, much more gently this time. “Not right now, though. What time is it, about midday?”

“Yeah, I think so.” Owen hadn’t really been paying that much attention, but he had eaten really quickly a short time ago, so that was probably right. 

“Good.” Gavin gave a wicked smile. “I have no intention of moving from this exact spot until _at least_ sundown.” He punctuated that with a sudden, hard thrust that had Owen crying out a little. “And then a half-hour break for supper and that’s it. We’ve got three days to make up for and we’re not sleeping until dawn, got it?”

“A half-hour?” Owen demanded, letting himself whinge a little. “That’s too long, Gavin. Why don’t we just grab the food and feed each other and then we don’t have to stop for more than a minute?” 

Gavin actually cackled, leaning down to kiss Owen’s collarbone. “I like the way you think.”


	9. Fears are Made to be Conquered, or Failing That, Hidden from and Fled

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By way of warning, there are spiders in this chapter.

“I’m just not sure taking a shortcut through mountains in the winter is the best idea.” Owen said, as they approached said mountains. The ground was growing rockier as they moved, and they were headed steadily uphill. Plus there were mountains right in front of them and all. 

“Going around them would take weeks.” Gavin said. “We’d just be wandering through snow forever, leaving tracks behind us.” 

“I know, I know.” They were approaching what looked like a pass that would take them into the mountains proper. If this was so much faster, Owen had to wonder why there wasn’t a road. Something must be stopping people from using the Amaran Mountains regularly, and so he checked to make sure his sword was loose in his scabbard, just in case. “We’re going to be trapped in snow up there, though, is what I’m worried about.”

“Maybe.” Gavin admitted, smirking. “We’ll have to huddle together for warmth, and…” His voice trailed off for a minute, eyes suddenly fixed on something ahead of them.

“Gavin?” Owen tried to find what he was looking at, but it was just a lot of rocks and whatnot. There was a pretty big spider, easily the size of Owen’s hand, sitting on one rock a little ahead of them. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” Gavin said faintly, not moving his gaze, and he was definitely looking at the spider. “I, um. Owen. I don’t really, uh, like spiders.” 

The way he was slowly paling as he his horse brought him closer to the spider told Owen it was a little more than not really liking them, and he grabbed Gavin’s reins to stop his horse. “I’ll scare it away, hold on.” He dismounted, taking his sword (but not unsheathing it because cleaving a spider in half was a bit much, he thought) and approaching the animal, waving the scabbard at it. “Get lost.” 

The spider scurried away, hiding under a rock, and Owen returned to Gavin. “Weird that it’s not hibernating or hiding or something in this cold.” 

“Yeah.” Gavin regained a little composure, and sighed as Owen mounted his horse again. “You’re going to make fun of me now, I guess.”

“Of course not.” Owen said, straight-faced. 

“It’s okay, I know it’s dumb. It’s not like they can hurt me, I just never really was able to convince myself of that. Feel free to mock.”

“I’m afraid of thunder.” Owen was already feeling bad about the fact that he had been planning on mocking Gavin, or at least gently ribbing him about it, later on. Gavin blinked at him, and Owen shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s just a sound but it scares the hell out of me.” He’d never told anyone that before. He’d even pretended at home that he’d gotten over the fear years ago, just because he was too embarrassed to admit it to his parents. He didn’t feel that way with Gavin, though. 

“Really?” Gavin smiled a little. “Thanks, I…I guess if there’s ever a storm you can, you know.”

“Cling to you and cry?”

“Yeah.” Gavin looked away. “As long as you’ll scare away the spiders for me.” 

“Okay.”

“Okay.”

They kept moving, heading up into the pass proper. “Oh, God.” Gavin said suddenly, and Owen looked over to see four of five of the same spiders on the cliff face to their left. “Oh, God, Owen.”

“Okay.” Owen said. “We don’t have to go through this pass, Gavin.” 

“Yes, we do.” Gavin whispered, transfixed by the arachnids. “It’s the only way to get through the mountains.” To be fair, Owen thought, they were much bigger than normal spiders, and hairy besides. 

“Okay, okay. It’s okay, Gavin.” Owen thought about it for a second and moved to ride as close to Gavin as he could. “It’s going to be okay.”

“We’ve already seen so many, there’s going to be more.” There were tears forming in Gavin’s eyes. “I don’t think I can…”

“Close your eyes.” Owen said suddenly, not sure about what he was saying. “Close your eyes, Gavin. Stop looking at them.”

“If I do that, how I am going to know if they…”

“They’re not going to come any closer to you.” Owen interrupted firmly. “I’m not going to let them. Just close your eyes, hold my hand and I’ll let you know when it’s safe, okay?” As an added comfort, he unsheathed his sword now, holding out his free hand for Gavin. 

Gavin finally tore his gaze from the spiders and looked to Owen’s hand. “Okay.” He said faintly, taking it and squeezing his eyes shut. “Don’t let them get any closer.”

“I won’t, come on.” They kept moving, the cliff walls getting higher and the incline getting steeper. They obviously didn’t mind cold weather, Owen thought as he saw more and more spiders on the rocks and cliff walls, never coming close to them or the horses, just sort of scurrying around or sitting there, but at some point when they got high enough up they wouldn’t be able to survive anymore. They probably just lived here at the base of the mountains. They were so big he thought they must eat mice. 

There were dozens of them, maybe as many as a hundred, just where he could see, and Gavin was whimpering a little bit. Owen could hear them moving and he knew Gavin could too, so he started talking. “We’re almost past them, I think.” He lied. 

“Are there a lot of them?”

“There are a few, but none of them are coming close to us, don’t worry.” Owen looked around warily at the…numerous spiders that were within kicking distance of them on the ground. Maybe they were eating birds.

Or maybe they swarmed things and ate larger prey. Owen tried not to think too hard about that. “We’re almost out.”

He’d barely got the words out when he heard a clattering of rocks and, looking up, he saw the reason why nobody came through this pass. It was probably the size of his horse, climbing down the cliff wall more quickly than something that size should be able to. “Gavin, you trust me, right?”

“Yes, God. Owen, what is it?”

“It’s nothing, but I need you to do something—can you let go of my hand and string your bow without opening your eyes? I’ll keep my hand on your arm while you do it.”

“Oh, God. Oh, God.” Gavin was shaking, but he did as Owen told him, clumsily grabbing his bow from his back and stringing it on the third try. The horses started to get antsy, and Owen didn’t blame them—he was starting to feel that Gavin’s fear was justified. 

Gavin tried to hand the bow to Owen, but he refused it. “I can’t shoot at all, Gavin, you know that.”

“My eyes are closed, Owen!” Gavin’s voice was a shrill.

“You’re awesome with a bow. I bet if I told you where to aim, you could hit that, um, target-shaped rock over there easily.”

“You’re full of shit, Owen.” Gavin’s voice shook and sounded almost like a laugh. 

“Just do it.” The spider was nearly down at the floor of the cliff, and its head was turned to them. Owen didn’t much like his chances of fighting it off while keeping it away from Gavin. 

Gavin nodded, crying openly now, and nocked an arrow. “Aim in front of you.” Owen said. “To the left, more. More, stop. A little lower, right there. Wait.” He really hoped that his secondhand aim was good. The spider scurried—nothing that big should scurry—off the wall and started immediately towards them. “Now.”

“Shit.” Gavin cried, loosing the arrow and drawing another one before Owen could register where it had landed, firing again, and then a third arrow as well. The spider let out a clicking sound and fell to the ground, its legs twitching grotesquely. All of the arrows had taken it in the head. “Owen. Did I get it? Did I…”

“Dead centre.” Owen said, a little awestruck. “Okay, let’s move forward. Keep that bow strung, just in case, and you’re going to have to go behind me just for a minute, the path narrows a little up here.” They couldn’t fit two abreast with the spider taking up half the path. The little spiders were already climbing all over it to eat. 

Gavin kept his bow strung and an arrow nocked for the rest of the way through the pass, trembling the whole way. After a few minutes the spiders started to thin out, the path widened a little, and it started snowing. 

“Okay.” Owen finally said, once he’d carefully looked around to make sure they were clear. “It’s okay now, you can open your eyes.”

Gavin shook his head. “No. No.”

“Gavin, it’s okay. Hey.” Owen dismounted, urged Gavin to do the same and pulled him into a hug. “It’s okay, I promise.”

Shaking violently, Gavin dropped his bow and hugged Owen back, clinging to him. “Thank you, thank you, Owen. I was so scared, I…”

“It’s okay.” Owen spoke softly, rocking Gavin back and forth. “It’s okay.”

They stood there for a long while like that and Owen let Gavin cry, patting his back and reassuring him. “You were so brave.”

“How…how big was it?” Gavin finally asked, sniffing. 

“It…” Owen looked back, though they were well out of the area where the dead spider was. “It really doesn’t matter, does it?”

“Oh, God, fuck. I’m going to throw up.”

“It was smaller than you’re thinking.” 

Gavin snorted a laugh, lifting his head to look up at Owen through tear-rimmed eyes. “A target-shaped rock?”

“It was the best I could come up with!” Owen protested. “You’re the one who tells stories.” 

“There’s a reason for that.” Gavin pulled away from Owen, taking a few calming breaths. “Okay. I’m okay now, I think.” 

“You were always okay, Gavin.”

“I love you.” Gavin leaned in, gave him a light kiss. “You get free blowjobs for a month. Just say the word whenever, I’m on my knees.”

“It doesn’t work like that.” Owen said, resting his forehead against Gavin’s. “This isn’t something you pay me back for. All I did was the thing that you do when you love someone. I’d do it again and you’d do the same for me and that’s that. You don’t owe me anything.”

“Okay.” Gavin smiled. “You know, I seem to recall you expecting to be paid in sex for rescues a while back.”

“What can I say? You’ve changed me.”

“I didn’t.” Gavin shook his head, pulled back from Owen and retrieved his bow. “You’re exactly the same as you were when I fell in love with you.”

Owen chuckled, looking away. “Um. I mean as long as that’s clear, you know. I’m not saying no to the blowjob thing. If you really wanted to, anyway.” 

Gavin’s eyes glinted for just a second. “I knew it. Pervert. You want to, right now?”

“No.” Owen didn’t miss the way Gavin’s eyebrows went up at that. “Later, when you’re feeling better. You’re not all the way back yet.” 

Gavin tsked, leaned in to give Owen another kiss before they mounted. “You’re too considerate. Take advantage of me once in a while.”

“Oh believe me.” Owen said, showing his teeth when he smiled. “I will. A month is a _long_ time.”


	10. Foreign Cultural Practices Can Sometimes be Jarring when First Encountered

“Stop laughing.”

“I’m not laughing.” Gavin giggled.

“You are, actually.”

“Okay yes, but. In my defense…” 

“If you say this is funny I’m going to punch you.” 

“No you won’t, you love me too much, and it’s a little bit funny.” 

Owen huffed and didn’t say anything, doing his best to ignore both Gavin and the man crouched in front of him who was apparently counting every last hair he had under his bellybutton. Another man was holding one of Owen’s arms in the air and doing the same there. 

“If you think I’m going to break you out of prison when they arrest you,” Owen said finally, shivering because the floor was stone, he was naked and it was cold, “you’re hilariously wrong. I’m going to leave you there and have a great life without you. Really?” He demanded from the crouching man, who casually reached up and moved his balls aside to get a better look at his inner thigh. The man just shushed him. 

“Okay well, first, that isn’t true. You’d be miserable without me. And even if that weren’t true, you know if you leave me behind I’ll hunt you down and make you wish we’d never met. Third, I’m pretty sure they don’t have prisons all the way up here. I was pretty sure they didn’t have laws up here until we broke one.”

“ _You_ broke one.” Owen grumbled, shifting his weight in the vague hope that it would make him warmer. It didn’t.

“You two understand that we can hear you, right?” Said one of the men. They were both hairy and strong-looking, and that second thing was the only reason why Owen hadn’t tried to fight them both off, and even then only because he’d been naked and more than a little compromised when they’d come in. 

“Yes.” Both of them said, Owen a little more sharply than Gavin. “If you’re going to humiliate me, you can least do it quietly.” 

“It’s not our intention to humiliate you; it’s to determine if you’re mature enough to…”

“I know!” Owen felt himself flush. “I feel like this is something you should have known about.” He said to Gavin. The people in these mountains apparently decided who was ready for sex based on how much body hair they had.

“I did.” Gavin said, looking innocent when Owen turned his head to glare. “I didn’t think it would matter! I’d assumed this culture had developed highly advanced facets of etiquette such as knocking. What were you two doing barging in anyway?”

“We wanted Owen to come with us on a hunt.” The crouching man said. His name was Rudy and he’d declared Owen his trainee after Owen and Gavin had arrived in the village here and killed the giant rock scorpion that had come into town and been terrorizing people. And now his face was half an inch away from Owen’s equipment as he inspected Owen’s pubic hair. With Rudy that close, Owen was fighting the irrational urge to just remind him that it was cold and to take that into account with any judgements he might be making about trivial things like physical size.

“See, Owen? They like you. Wait.” Gavin glared at the two men. “Why wasn’t I invited?” 

“Because they don’t like you.” Owen said before either of them could respond, because he knew the answer was that they would have thought Gavin too small to handle a mountain lion or any of the other predators that lived up here. “Seems to me if I’m old enough to kill scorpions and go hunting with you, I can do whatever I want in my bedroom.”

“That’s not how the law works, Owen.” Rudy said. “Sorry.” 

“You don’t sound that sorry, and I don’t know why you think I care about your law. I’m leaving in a few days anyway, I don’t care what you think and I’m not going to just let you imprison Gavin.”

“Of course you are.” Gavin said firmly from the bed. “Owen, you can’t be the hero we need you to be if you go around disregarding local laws. Then you’re just a criminal.”

“We wouldn’t imprison Gavin.” Rudy said conversationally, sending a quick apologetic look before lifting Owen’s junk out of the way to see underneath. “If he’s found guilty of this particular crime the punishment is castration.”

“Well.” Gavin suddenly sounded a lot less confident. “In this specific case I think we can all agree that local law can be safely ignored.” 

“Oh, suddenly it’s not funny anymore now that your balls are on the line?” Owen teased. “Save me, Rudy, the bad boy touched me. Of course, so are you, so…” 

“You’re not as funny as you think you are.” Gavin muttered. “And don’t act like you don’t like that part of me.” 

“It is one of my favourites.” Owen admitted. “I don’t suppose it matters that I’m actually older than Gavin?”

“Not by that much.”

“Stop helping, please, Gavin.”

“Okay.” Rudy looked up at his friend, who nodded, and the two of them stepped back from Owen.

“Okay?” Owen asked, feeling like he should put pants on and then remembering they’d just been literally scouring his naked body for hair and deciding there was no need to be modest. “A good okay?”

“Well.” Rudy looked around the room conspiratorially as if someone might be listening in. “Technically you’re under the threshold for what’s considered mature.” Owen glanced quickly to one side, gauging how far his sword was from where he was standing. “But most of us are the first time we, you know.”

“The word you’re looking for is ‘fuck.’” 

“I said stop _helping_ , Gavin!” 

“And not that I think this was your first time.” Rudy said, smirking. Owen couldn’t help but smile smugly. “But based on how…enthusiastically you seemed to be saying yes when we came in, I think it’s probably okay.” And Owen’s smugness disappeared a little, mostly because he knew Gavin was silently gloating behind him. 

“That’s good to hear.” Gavin got up off the bed and wrapped his arms around Owen from behind. How was he already hard again? God. “Now if you don’t mind…”

“You don’t want to come hunting?”

“Sort of in the middle of something here, Rudy.” Gavin said, while Owen started to go red mostly because he could feel himself getting hard again and _there were people standing right there._ “Owen will come out to play when I’m finished with him.”

“Gavin…” Owen squirmed uncomfortably. “Guys. Can it wait for, you know, a bit?” At least Rudy and his friend looked uncomfortable as well, he thought. 

“You can stay and watch if you want.” Gavin offered.

“No!” Owen’s voice rose a fair bit. “You really can’t. Go away.” 

“You heard the man. Or excuse me, boy. Scram.” Gavin’s hands started to wander down, and thankfully both men excused themselves from the room rather hastily. “Finally.” He grumbled, and pulled Owen back onto the bed, where they both toppled and landed in a pile. 

“Don’t do that.” Owen chided, rolling with Gavin until Gavin was on top of him. 

“You don’t want people to watch?” Gavin leaned down and kissed Owen’s jaw. 

“I really don’t.” He liked…Owen liked the idea that only he got to see Gavin in a certain way. 

“Fine. You will be for my eyes only.”

“I’m never letting you pick the shortcut again.”

“I think it worked out rather well.” Gavin’s hand wandered down and Owen knew he’d be using it to guide himself into Owen’s entrance, where he’d been buried before they were interrupted. 

“You weren’t the one who had your ball hair measured.”

“Mm.” Gavin’s expression darkened a little. “I hated watching them touch you, you know. I just kept thinking _mine, mine, mine._ You’re mine to touch.” 

“You certainly didn’t sound that upset.”

“I was playing casual so they wouldn’t think I was abusing you.”

“Really?” Owen often forgot how good a liar Gavin was. “Okay. Are you going to stick that in me or not?”

“You’re really romantic, you know that?”

“Yeah, but I’m still _yours, yours, yours._ ”

“Yes.” Gavin said, pushing inside slowly. “You are.”


	11. Heroes Need to Accept that Sometimes Justice Comes at Swordpoint

“I think I’m going to throw up.” Owen said faintly, looking down at the blood-stained snow. 

“Okay.” Gavin answered from beside him, his voice soft. Owen heard boots crunching in the snow and Gavin was at his arm. “That’s okay, Owen.”

“They’re all dead.”

“Yes, they are.” 

“We killed them.” Owen whispered. “I killed them.” 

“Yes, we did.” Gavin sounded a little shaken, but not nearly as much as Owen felt. “We had to, Owen.”

“No, we didn’t.” Owen shook his head. “No, we didn’t.”

“Yes, we did. They were going to hurt more people if we didn’t.”

“They were people too.” Five of them. There had been five and now there were none, and Owen had killed three of them. 

“They were bad people, Owen.”

“But they were _people,_ Gavin!” Owen started shivering in the cold. “They weren’t monsters. They weren’t ghouls or trolls or dragons. They were humans.” 

“You don’t have to be a dragon to be a monster.” Gavin said firmly. “These bandits had been terrorizing that village for over a year. They’ve killed thirty-two of the villagers. They’ve torched houses, they’ve raped people, they’ve killed people’s _children,_ Owen. Someone needed to stop them.”

“I know all of that. I’m not stupid, Gavin. I know all of that.” 

“I know you do.”

“It’s just different than I thought it would be, that’s all. I thought it would be, I don’t know. I thought it would feel better than this. I thought it would feel…I know it was right. I just thought it would _feel_ right and it doesn’t.” 

Gavin rubbed the back of Owen’s neck gently. “It’s not supposed to feel right, Owen. If killing people feels right then you’re not okay.” 

“Have you…” Owen paused, wanting to look up at Gavin but not able to take his gaze away from the blood in the snow. Five people bled a lot of blood. Snow shouldn’t ever be red. “Have you killed people before? Before today?”

“No.” Gavin’s other hand moved down Owen’s arm, resting over his hand where he still gripped his sword with white knuckles. 

“You seem a lot less upset than I am.”

“Yeah.” Gavin sighed. “The people in that village…they follow the laws, they pay taxes. They’re my subjects, Owen. It’s my job to protect them—that’s the whole agreement between a leader and a subject. You follow these rules and I’ll protect you if you need it. Normally we do that by sending an army or some knights, but the trade-off for being born in a palace is that you have to be willing to do what you need to do in order to protect your people.” 

“These guys here weren’t your subjects too?” Owen asked, waved at them. Gavin was massaging his sword hand, trying to coax him into loosening his grip. 

“No. They broke the rules. You don’t get to rape and pillage and kill and steal and still think you’re entitled to protection. Owen, I know this felt bad, but this was justice.”

Owen nodded numbly. “It’s funny how they never talk about the amount of blood that justice comes with.”

“Owen, can you let go of your sword, please?” 

“Right.” Owen tried to loosen his grip, found he needed two attempts to do it before the hilt slid from his hand and Gavin caught it, taking it away. 

Owen started shaking in earnest now, but Gavin was right there, arms wrapped around him. “It’s okay, it’s okay.”

“I know, I know.” Owen took deep, steadying breaths and willed himself not to shiver so much, feeling Gavin’s warmth and wishing his breastplate wasn’t in between them. “I just…I thought I’d be…better, about this.”

“But I like that you aren’t, and it’s normal to feel this way. You’re _supposed _to feel bad about killing people, Owen. Even bad people.”__

__“Do you feel bad about it too?”_ _

__“No.” Gavin said. “And that’s why I’m glad that you do. One of us should.” They were silent for a minute, standing in the snow and holding each other. “We may have to do this again someday.”_ _

__“I know.” Owen took one more breath before releasing Gavin, pulling back and looking him in the eye. The dye he’d used in his hair was growing out and he needed to get more. “I know that. I can do it if we have to.”_ _

__“Good. Come on, let’s get away from here.”_ _

__“We should bury them.”_ _

__“The ground is frozen. They’ll be covered in snow soon, that’s good enough. Let’s go.” Owen let Gavin lead him away from the site of the battle. He was dragging Owen’s sword along the ground and Owen took it back and put it away._ _

__“I’m glad that you don’t feel bad.” Owen said when they were a fair distance away. Gavin looked up at him, surprised. “If you did, if we both did. We might not be able to do it again if we had to. And we can’t help people if we’re not willing to…help them.”_ _

__“I hadn’t thought of that.” Gavin slipped his hand into Owen’s. “I guess you’re right. It’s a good thing we have each other.”_ _

__“I already knew that.” Owen held Gavin’s hand tightly. “I swear I wouldn’t know what to do without you.”_ _

__“You’d manage.”_ _

__“I’m not so sure.” Owen shook his head, sighed. “I just really love you a whole lot, you know?”_ _

__“I love you too, Owen.”_ _

__Hearing those words never failed to make Owen feel taller, bigger, and just better than he was. “Listen, Gavin. The people in the village, they’re going to want to have a party or something to celebrate the bandits being gone.”_ _

__“You don’t want to?” Gavin asked, as the village came into view amidst snowdrifts._ _

__“I...do you think you could convince them to do it tomorrow, at least. I’m kind of tired and I don’t think I’m up for a whole bunch of people tonight.” He’d go to bed now if they would let him._ _

__“Okay, I’m sure that will be fine. But you need to be up for at least a few people. You’re going to go to the mayor and tell him that you killed the people who raped his wife. And you’re going to the town’s blacksmith and telling her you killed the people who murdered her sons. And then…”_ _

__“Yeah, okay.” They’d been staying in this village for a couple of days. Owen knew who the people were. “I can do that.”_ _

__“I know you can. I’ll be with you while you do it, Owen, it’ll be okay.”_ _

__“It’s already okay.” Owen managed a smile. “It’s always okay if you’re here.”_ _

__Gavin laughed, shook his head. “Come on, you big idiot. You’ve got good news for a lot of people.”_ _


	12. Hero Career Counselling is a Job that Should Definitely Exist but Does Not

“Gavin…” 

Owen was answered with a low hum, and that was the straw that pushed him over the edge, making him shoot into Gavin’s mouth with a sort of pitiful cry. 

Leaning against the tree they were behind and panting, Owen took a moment to compose himself while Gavin stood, and he didn’t notice Gavin leaning forward suddenly until they were kissing and Owen’s mouth was suddenly fully of Gavin’s tongue and his own cum, which dribbled down both of their chins in the exchange.

Gavin broke off the kiss with a wicked smile, wiping his mouth, and Owen swallowed. “That was kind of…gross.” 

“You like the taste of mine just fine.” Gavin said, patting Owen on the cheek and wiping his chin with a sleeve. 

“Well, yeah.” Owen said, pulling up his pants and trying to remember how to tie. “You taste good.” It wasn’t really the taste that had thrown him off, more how unexpected it was. And it just seemed kind of…weird, to taste his own like that. Not bad, just weird.

“So do you—unless you’re trying to tell me I have bad taste?” Gavin asked, tsking and helping Owen lace up his front. 

“No, I…” Owen had the distinct feeling he’d been trapped.

“Besides, you can consider it payback.”

“For what?”

“For taking advantage of my generousity.” 

“You…you told me to take advantage of you!” 

“Well, I didn’t realize you were going to do it five times a day, God, Owen.” 

“That was only the second time today.” Owen mumbled, looking away and maybe feeling a bit bad. He hadn’t meant to actually take advantage of Gavin for real. 

“After five times yesterday. I swear, you have the stamina of a plough horse.” Gavin lead Owen around the tree and they unhobbled their horses, preparing to continue riding. They were nearly there—they could see the walls of Merket from here.

“You like my stamina.”

Gavin smiled, punched Owen in the arm. “Yeah, I do.” 

“I’m sorry.” Owen said as they started on their way again. “I didn’t mean to…”

“I’m joking, Owen.” Gavin shook his head. “You’re too easy. And I’d blow you twenty times a day to see the face you make just after you’ve finished.” 

“Well.” Owen shifted a little in his saddle, smirking at Gavin. “I don’t know if I can do twenty, but I don’t mind trying.” 

“You’d mind after the first ten, I think.”

Owen shrugged. “Not the worst way to die, I guess.” 

“You’re impossible.”

“You like that I’m impossible.” Owen told him. “It’s the first thing that attracted you to me.”

“That’s actually not true. The fact that you killed a dragon dressed like a background character from a bad opera, earnestly believing it would get you laid, was what first attracted me to you.” 

“Really?”

“That and your hair.” Gavin continued, and Owen was surprised to see his cheeks tinted a little. “I like red hair.”

“Lucky for you.” Owen said, oddly proud of that for no particular reason. “I managed to beat out all the non-redheads to get to you first.”

“I’d have been so frustrated.” Gavin opined, expression turning grave. “If anyone but you had come. I hadn’t jerked off in weeks—I would have fucked a tree and got the worst splinters. If I’d been saved by someone who didn’t have the exact blend of chivalry and perversion that you had…can you imagine what would have happened if I’d been saved by someone who didn’t want to have sex with me, Owen? Like someone who was super into the idea of a girl, or super into status differences and was too afraid to touch me? Owen. I would have _killed_ someone.”

“I was super into those things.” Owen said, humming a little. “You changed my mind.”

“Thank everything holy for that.” Gavin muttered, and Owen agreed. 

It wasn’t much longer before they passed through the gates of Merket, and though Owen had been in plenty of cities by now he couldn’t help but look around at this one, expecting after what Gavin had told him that there would be something interesting happening everywhere.

Not really, as it turned out—Merket was a city just like other cities, with buildings built from birch and people going about ordinary business for the most part. There were, Owen supposed, more people around who were obviously freeriders or mercenaries, but even then it was only to make up a slightly larger minority than everywhere else. 

“I expected to look more, you know, visually interesting.” Gavin commented as they searched for an inn. 

Owen sighed, relieved that he wasn’t the only one. “Yeah. It kind of seems like a regular city to me.”

“Everything I’ve heard says there must be someone planning an epic quest to save the world or slay something or retrieve something somewhere in this town.” Gavin looked around, as if quests might just jump out of the nearby alleys. “Practically everyone who’s ever been known for anything like that either started their journey here or passed through at some point.” He sighed. “Oh well. For now, let’s go find somewhere to sleep that’s not outside.”

“I’m all for this idea.” Owen announced. “If they have a bath too it would totally make up for the city being boring.”

“Maybe don’t declare that so loudly.” Gavin suggested. “There is an assassins’ guild headquartered here somewhere. You may have just gotten your name put on a list somewhere.” 

Owen choked a little on air. “Wait, seriously?” 

“Yes.”

“This isn’t one of those things where I’m really easy?”

“Owen, I wouldn’t joke about assassins.” 

“Shit.” Probably nobody had heard him earlier. He hadn’t been talking that loud and there were a lot of people on the road. 

“On a related note, though,” Gavin said conversationally, “you are very, very easy.” 

“Oh, fuck you!”

“Well, when you ask so romantically…”

“I can’t believe I ever thought you needed rescuing.” Owen grumbled, spotting what looked like an inn ahead and heading there. 

“To be fair, it was before we’d met that you thought that.”

“That dragon was probably happy to be put out of its misery.” 

Gavin punched him in the arm and Owen decided not to say any more.

They got a room in the inn, which did in fact have a bath out back, and paid to have their horses stabled next door. “We’ll have to get the word out that you’re here.” Gavin said as they unsaddled the horses.

“What, because I’m so famous?”

“No, but you will be. You want to be.” Owen just looked at him. “I want you to be. There’s a politics to this, Owen. We should try to get involved with a group that’s out to do something big. Then people know your name, maybe call you next time there’s a thing, then more people know your name…”

“And this has worked with all the other would-be heroes that you’ve coached?” Owen teased.

“I prefer to say that it’s never failed me once so far.” Gavin smiled back. “You’re taking a very long time.” He said, coming into Owen’s stall and patting his horse on the neck. 

“Sorry, did you have plans?” Owen asked. “Were you intending to start weaseling us into monster-hunting parties right this very minute?” 

“Maybe I was.”

“Well, I have other plans for you first.” Owen said as Gavin came around the horse to face him, and Gavin raised an eyebrow when he caught sight of the tent Owen was throwing in his pants.

“You are insatiable.” 

“You like that about me too.” 

“Yeah.” Gavin smiled, leaned in and kissed Owen gently before moving downward. “I do.”


	13. 'I Hear You Killed a Dragon' Is a Pretty Solid Conversation Starter

“That’s ghouls for you.” Deatra the Third clapped Owen on the back. He hadn’t asked why she was called ‘the Third.’ “You’re lucky you got away with your arm at all.”

“There were only the two.” Owen reminded her. Probably he should have said there were fifteen, but he wasn’t very good at this whole telling stories about himself bit. He felt silly doing it, though he liked listening to others tell their own stories. 

“Only two?” Dennis Strong (not Strong Dennis, who was a different person) was the third person at the table with them and he scoffed. “Once on a quest in the Shadow Caves of Orton I fell into a nest of fifteen of them, and had to fight them off with my bare hands.”

“There, Owen—two important lessons you’ve just learned about this life. Don’t leave your weapon behind and look where you’re bloody going. Dennis’ list of blunders is a fount of wisdom for newcomers.”

Owen couldn’t help but laugh at that, but Dennis did as well so he didn’t feel too bad about doing it. “She’s got a point, lad.” Dennis told him. “What’s the point of making mistakes if not to help everyone after you not make them?”

“I’ll be sure to make a lot of really good ones, in that case.” Owen said, thinking that probably wouldn’t be hard. 

“That’s the right attitude, there.” Now Dennis clapped him on the back and though Owen was a decent-sized person with a fairly stout constitution, they were both very strong and he kind of wished that they would stop hitting him. 

“I try to stay positive and keep up my sunny disposition.” Owen really wished that Gavin was here helping him. 

Deatra laughed. “You’re a charming little fuck. I bet girls fall all over themselves when you show up in a town.”

“Boys, too.” Owen grinned and let them think of that what they would. 

“You got any skill to back up that bravado, son?” Dennis demanded. “They say you killed a dragon—that true?”

“Yeah.” Owen tried not to sound too smug. “It’s kind of a funny story—if you think stories about me humiliating myself are funny, anyway.” Gavin insisted it was a funny story, but Owen didn’t really think so, even with the alterations they had made to it to avoid people learning who they were. “So, I hear this princess is kidnapped by a dragon. In all my country boy wisdom, I go off to save her.”

“It was a prince who got kidnapped.” Dennis corrected him. 

“I know, Gavin.” Owen shushed him. “I didn’t know that then. Anyway, so I run off, certain that I’ll rescue the princess who doesn’t exist and marry her because I’m an idiot and that’s how the world works.” Owen really hoped that Gavin was right about highlighting the parts that made him look stupid in order to make people appreciate his humility—he thought it would just make them think he was stupid. “I find a sword in a ditch and get some armour that doesn’t fit in exchange for catching a bunch of rabbits. I start wandering around in the mountains—my parents hunt so I figure, I can track a deer I can track a dragon, right?”

“You haven’t even found the dragon yet and I’m already surprised that you survived.” Deatra said.

“You and me both. God takes pity on me and sends me a stroke of luck, if you want to call it that—I find a dragon in a mountain near the border. I’m so ready to…” Owen cleared his throat, colouring a little. “Meet the princess, I run into the cave without a plan or anything. Turns out dragons are pretty big, you know? Teeth longer than my arm. Anyway, it chases me around for a bit, cooks me a bit, steps on me a little, tastes me some.” Owen held a hand to his throat. “Dragon scales are almost impossible to break, but they don’t have many right here. It was a lucky hit. Bastard nearly crushed me when it fell, too.” That part, at least, was all true. 

“You were able to reach its neck?” Dennis scoffed. “Must have been a small dragon.”

“Certainly didn’t seem small while it was trying to swallow me whole!” Owen thought it was awfully rich for everyone to tell him that—everyone wanted to tell him most dragons were bigger than the one he’d killed, but Owen couldn’t help but notice that none of _them_ had ever killed one. 

“And your princess?” Deatra was smiling. “You did promise humiliation, I recall.”

“That part doesn’t really, you know, matter, does is?” Owen took from their expressions that it did and he tried to look a little bashful. “She was a horse that the dragon had picked up from a nearby field.” Gavin thought it would be a funny ending to the story. Owen thought it would make people wonder if he’d had sex with a horse.

They both laughed, though, so Gavin had been right (again). “Did you marry the horse instead?”

Okay, maybe they’d both been right. “Hey, I’m a gentleman. Ask her yourself, she’s in the stable out back.” 

Another round of laugher. Once Deatra had calmed down, she said. “You tell that story better than your others.”

“I should hope so—I rehearsed and everything.”

“Too bad it wasn’t Gavin at least—you’d have been knighted.” 

Owen just shrugged. “Who wants to be a knight anyway?”

“I think you’ve got a bright future in this business, kid.” She told him. “You’ve already got your fair share of cautionary tales and not everyone can say they cut their teeth on a dragon.”

“Well, anyone could _say_ it.” Dennis countered. “But she’s not wrong. You should come with us next time we go out ranging. I want to see this skill of yours in person.” 

Owen perked up. “Count me in.” Part of him couldn’t believe that had actually worked—but another part of him was thinking that of course it had, because Gavin’s plans always did. 

Owen must have been keeping a subconscious eye on the door of the tavern, because when it opened a second later he knew instantly who was coming in and looked up. Gavin entered the common room quietly, looking around, followed by two women. Owen raised his hand and waved so Gavin could see him. 

“Friend of yours?”

“My partner, Gabe.” Owen said easily. Gavin had been using that name for a while now, so he no longer stumbled over it. “Sometimes I try to figure out how I haven’t died yet and then I realize it’s because of him.”

Before either of them could respond, Gavin came over to the table. “Evening.” He said to Deatra and Dennis, before leaning down to talk quietly to Owen. “I’ve got it. Try not to piss these two off, will you?”

“Why do you ask like you think I’m going to?” Owen asked innocently. “Everyone likes me. The horse story went well, by the way.”

“Of course it did.”

By this point the two women had joined them. One was tall and carved from stone, the other shorter and patient-looking. Both were armed. “He’s shorter than I expected.” The tall one said. “Are you sure he killed a dragon, or was it just a really big salamander?”

Owen fixed her with a look. “You’re five minutes too late. I just finished telling the story for today. I’ll be here all week if you want to hear it later.” Gavin elbowed him but Owen kept the tall woman’s gaze. Gavin was better at talking to people than he was, but Owen knew a thing or two about the posturing that he had to do at times like this. 

Sure enough, the tall woman laughed. “Alright, another time, then. Wouldn’t want you straining your poor voice.”

“It’s a good story, though.” Deatra assured her. “It’s got a horse in it.” Both she and Dennis had their hands near their weapons, Owen noticed. 

“But is it true?” The second woman wanted to know. “Gabe, can he actually fight?”

Gavin shrugged. “It’s always looked that way to me.” 

“Wow, thanks for the rousing endorsement.” Owen grumbled. 

“Come out into the yard.” The woman told Owen. “We’ll see.”

“Do I get to know what this is about?” Owen asked.

“After.” She turned and headed outside. 

Before getting up to follow, Owen looked up at Gavin. “That’s Aria Hammertooth. She’s planning a quest and I convinced her to consider adding you to her team. But, you know.” Gavin jerked his head after her and Owen sighed.

“Got it.” Owen stood. Deatra and Dennis followed suit and made to follow them. “You’re coming?”

“To watch Aria beat the teeth out of your head?” Dennis asked? “Of course, lad.”

“You know her?”

“Everyone knows her.”

“Great. I should have worn my armour.” Owen muttered, letting Gavin all but pull him by the hand out of the tavern. Outside, they rounded the building and Gavin shoved him into the little courtyard that was at the back of the tavern. 

Aria was already standing there, her tall friend off to the side a little, and as soon as Owen had stumbled in she drew a thin blade and rushed at him. “Shit.” Owen drew his own sword, turning to block her strike with the weapon halfway in its sheath. 

“You’re faster than you look.” She told him as he drew his blade the rest of the way. Then she started attacking again and Owen was barely able to keep up to block her strikes, nevermind return them.

“Is this how you always interview people?”

“The ones I’ve never heard of.” 

“If I hadn’t blocked you would have killed me.” Owen pushed back as he blocked one of her blows and managed to go on the offensive for all of three strikes before he was retreating again. 

“Good thing you blocked, then. You’re moving too much. Who taught you the sword?” She batted his blade away with no effort and Owen just managed to escape with a shallow cut on his cheek. 

“Nobody.” Owen felt the wall approaching his back and ducked under Aria’s arm, using a heavy strike to pin her instead of the other way around. “My uncle a little, but I mostly just did what I saw other guys doing.”

“Are you serious?” Aria kicked Owen in the stomach, and then in the chin while he was doubled over. That put him on the ground and she put a foot on his chest. “You lose.”

Owen brought his sword up and rested it against Aria’s inner thigh. “Are you sure?”

“Now, that’s not very honourable.”

“Do I look like a knight?” Owen asked. “Shamed and alive is better than honourable and dead. Besides, in a real fight your sword met my ribcage, not your boot.”

“True enough.” Aria stepped back and offered Owen a hand up. Out of the corner of his eye, Owen could see Gavin practically vibrating. He would want to rush over and make sure Owen was okay. “You’ve got promise. You’re hired.” She paused. “Hired being a loose term, since we’re not being paid.”

“Hey, we’ve already claimed the new kid.” Dennis protested from the sidelines. 

Aria looked up at him, apparently having not noticed that he or Deatra were there. “You two I remember. Want to come along? We could use the help.”

“With?”

“Cleo and I were approached by a witch named Cassiopeia. She’s looking for people to hunt down a rogue wizard in the mountains.” 

“What did he do?” Owen asked. 

“Apparently he’s trying to make it winter forever.” The taller woman, Cleo, said. “Consensus is that would be bad.”

“You need six people to kill one wizard?” Owen had never met a wizard, but that seemed excessive.

“He altered the entire world’s weather, so he’s not toothless.” Aria looked at them all expectantly. “Hey, nobody’s being paid; it’s a volunteer mission as far as I’m concerned. Come if you want. I’m leaving tomorrow.” 

“I’ll be there.” Owen promised. Aria nodded at him and to the side, Gavin smiled. 

The two women left the courtyard and Owen went to join Gavin and the other two. “Nice, kid.” Dennis clapped him on the back again and Owin winced. “You held her back for almost a full minute before she killed you—that’s not nothing.”

The effort involved certainly hadn’t been nothing. “Thanks.”

“I once fought her for nearly an hour, you know.” Dennis continued, but Deatra just shook her head.

“I’ve got better things to do. See you all tomorrow.”

“Fine, fine. Tomorrow.” The two of them left as well, and Owen waved them off as Gavin started fussing.

“Are you okay? That looked like it hurt.”

“I’m fine, Gavin.”

“Of course you are. Now stop being macho and tell me where it hurts. You’re bleeding, you know.”

“This was your idea.” Owen reminded him.

“I wasn’t expecting her to actually beat you up.” Gavin looked flustered. “I just thought she’d…do something else, I guess. You people are so strange.”

“I’m fine.” Owen repeated, rubbing Gavin’s arms and smiling. “You want to check under my clothes, just to be sure?”

Gavin coloured, but returned his smile. “Yes. Then you can express your gratitude for getting you on a save-the-world quest.” 

“I knew you would—it’s why I keep you around.”

Gavin raised an eyebrow. “Well.” Owen corrected. “It’s one of the reasons.” 

“I think it’s me who’s keeping you around, actually.” 

“Yeah…that’s pretty accurate.” Owen fidgeted while he spoke. 

Gavin noticed, and laughed. “Really? I mention sex five seconds ago and you’re already anxious because you haven’t gotten any yet?” 

“Shut up. Don’t pretend you didn’t get hard watching me fight.”

Gavin looked away, smiled again. “So…let’s go back to the inn? The tradition of pre-quest sex is pretty important.”

“We don’t have that tradition.”

“I’m starting it today.” 

Owen leaned in and kissed Gavin. “Sounds good. Let’s go.”

“Quickly.” Gavin agreed, and the two of them took off to start what Owen didn’t doubt would become one of their most important traditions.


	14. Assuming that People are Like You is a Common Mistake to Make

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know what happened with this chapter. It was supposed to be something entirely different and then it turned into this instead. Oh well, haha.

“We’ll be coming up on a town tomorrow.” 

In retrospect, when Dennis opened with that, Owen should have known to find some excuse to get up from the fire. But it was cold and that was numbing his brain just as much as his fingertips, so he didn’t. “That’s good.” He muttered, staring into the tiny flames and willing his body to emulate their heat. “Maybe there will be an inn we can stay in for a night.” 

“Do you one better than that.” Dennis said, grinning in a way that Owen might have been alarmed by if he’d been warmer. “I’ve got a friend there we can stay with.”

Owen blinked. “Really? Must be a good friend if you can just drop in with five strangers.”

Dennis chortled, clapped Owen on the back. “No, no. Just you and me, son.” 

“W-what? That seems kind of…”

“He’s going to bring you to a brothel, Owen.” Cleo was sitting on the other side of the fire, sharpening her knife. She didn’t look up at them as she spoke. 

“What?” Owen found himself suddenly wishing he was elsewhere, and wondering if Gavin could somehow hear this despite being off with Aria and Deatra scouting. “Well, I don’t really…” At least he didn’t feel cold anymore.

“Of course you do.” Dennis declared, talking right over him. “You’re a man, aren’t you?”

“Well…”

“No shame in saying no, boy. I know just the girl to make you one, too.”

“I really don’t need you to…”

“You’ve killed a dragon, haven’t you? No need to be scared of a naked girl.”

“I’m not, it’s just…”

Dennis was just determined not to let Owen talk—not that Owen was sure what he was going to say anyway. “Nothing to worry about. Trust me, they’ll be falling all over you.” 

“Dennis, your assumption that a boy needs a girl to make him a man is painfully outdated, don’t you think?" Cleo asked, looking up from her knife. 

“Well, I didn’t mean it like _that._ ” Dennis was oddly defensive in a way that made Owen think he probably had meant it like that—whatever _that_ was. “It’s a normal thing for a growing boy to want. Better to get it safely out of his system, don’t you think?”

“I really don’t need to get it out of my system, honestly.”

“Of course you do. Your hand can only do so much, lad.” Owen closed his eyes and just took a second to pretend that this wasn’t happening. “Trust me, your first time with a girl and you’ll be walking just a bit taller after.”

“I walk plenty tall now.”

“So you’ve been with a girl, then?” Dennis grinned and patted Owen’s shoulder in congratulations.

“No, but I don’t…”

“Then you don’t know what you’re talking about. Trust me, this will help you.”

“The boy’s been trying to say no to you for five minutes now, Dennis.” 

“Only because he’s shy. I’ll cure you of that, don’t you worry.” 

“That’s really…” Owen heard snow crunching behind them and looked around to see Gavin returning with the other two. _Thank God._ “Gabe.” He got up, away from Dennis, and crossed the few steps between them quickly. 

And kissed Gavin on the mouth. 

Gavin kissed back for a second before pulling back, resting their foreheads together instead. “Um.” Owen said, eloquently. 

“You’re an idiot.” Gavin whispered, though he was smiling. 

“I know. Sorry about that.” 

“I find it oddly endearing.” 

“I love you.”

Gavin laughed and pushed Owen back, led him back to the fire and sat. “All’s clear.” He announced as Aria and Deatra sat themselves as well. Dennis was openly staring at the two of them as if he’d never seen them before, but the women were wearing varying degrees of disinterest. 

“Well, lad.” Dennis finally said, a little gruffly. “If that was all it was, you could have just said so.” 

“I tried!” Owen protested. “You wouldn’t let me talk!”

“Well, a man ought to be more forceful in getting his voice heard.” 

“Owen is plenty forceful when he needs to be.” Gavin smiled playfully, and Aria laughed—Owen hadn’t thought she was the type. 

“Did you honestly not know?” She asked Dennis. “They sleep together, for heaven’s sake.” 

“Sharing a tent isn’t that uncommon! Wait, you knew?”

“They share a hell of a lot more than the tent. And of course I knew—this is my expedition. You think anything happens in our camp that I don’t know about?” Owen had a sudden vivid memory of something he and Gavin had snuck off behind a few trees for the other night and wondered if she knew about _that_ too. 

She probably did. 

“You were trying to drag him to that brothel you like, weren’t you?” Deatra accused. “Make a man out of him and all that crap?”

The look on Dennis’ face was answer enough and Gavin smacked Owen in the shoulder. “You should have gone. It would have been hilarious to watch you—wait. Was I invited? How come you always get invited to do manly things without me?”

“Owen looks like a young man.” Cleo said absently. “You look like a boy. Speaking of which…”

“Gabe makes all of those decisions.” Owen said quickly, seeing where she was going. “I’ve never made him do anything.” 

“Good.” Cleo was a sorceress, but Owen was having sudden powerful thoughts about being skinned alive with that knife if she hadn’t liked his answer. “Anyway, Dennis, if you’re that hard up for a companion, I’ll go with you to that brothel.”

She said it so easily that Owen didn’t even realize that he hadn’t known until a few seconds after a reaction would be appropriate. So he just smiled when Gavin squeezed his hand. 

Dennis looked at her for a minute and then just laughed. “Alright, alright. You all have my apologies for being an old-fashioned bastard. I’m not young anymore and the world’s gone and changed without me.”

“For the better.” Deatra said.

“Aye, for the better. Though all that’s really changed is how much someone like me knows, isn’t that right?” He smiled good-naturedly. “Get naked with whoever you like; makes no difference to me.” 

Owen laughed. “I appreciate than, but I wasn’t after your permission.”

“And nor should you have been, boy. A man—a person doesn’t need permission to be happy.” 

“I’m glad we’ve settled that.” Aria said impatiently, looking up at the sky. “Now let’s cook something before we all freeze.” 

That, Owen thought, was the best idea he’d heard all day.


	15. Lots of Skills can be Taught, but Intuition is Innate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost at the end of this little story arc.

“That’s kind of awesome.” Owen said to himself, not really realizing he’d spoken aloud until after he’d done it. 

“Yeah, it’s okay.” Gavin said beside him, also looking up. He was glaring and doing his best not to look impressed. “I guess.” 

“I think it’s okay for you to think a floating castle is cool.” The castle glittered even though the sky was too overcast to give any real light. It was a tiered structure with thin towers at every corner, and was a blue-white that forced Owen to conclude that it was made of ice. Amidst all the snow, it almost looked illusory. 

Which he supposed was less weird than the fact that it was hovering a mile or so off the ground beside this mountain. 

“One of us needs to keep a cool head and not gawk.”

“I’m not gawking.” Owen grumbled, taking his eyes away from the castle to prove it. “Besides, everyone else was looking too.”

“They were gawking too. That’s why I wasn’t.” 

“You’re full of it.” Owen accused. Though he supposed Gavin had grown up in a castle, so maybe castles in and of themselves weren’t impressive for him, or at least he felt obligated to pretend it wasn’t. Still, a magical, floating ice castle was something. Now that pride was forcing Owen not to look, he cast a glance around the snowy little plateau they’d stopped on during their ascent up the mountain path. How much higher would they have to go before they could find a way in? Owen started measuring distance with his eyes, squinting to see through the snow, trying to gauge how close the castle actually was. 

“You’re gawking again.”

“I’m trying to find a way in!”

“Not the biggest floating castle I’ve ever seen.” Dennis announced gruffly. “Had to scale an airborne fortress twice that size once when I took out a storm spirit down on the east coast.” 

“And how’d you get in to that one?” Owen asked, still measuring in his head. 

“Let myself get captured so he’d take me up there.” Dennis said immediately. 

“Let yourself.” Deatra was rolling her eyes, Owen could tell. “Sure. Seems more likely he found you sleeping.” 

“Okay, so I’ll get shovelling and we can all take a nap, then.” Owen said, gesturing towards the plateau. The snow reached above Owen’s knees evenly from where they stood to the wall of the mountain, despite the wind sweeping from the north and the curvature of the rock face that should have collected snow. “When we wake up we’ll all be up there.”

“That shouldn’t be necessary.” Cleo said, eyes on the castle while Dennis turned to Owen, eyes narrowed. “I can probably get us up there from here. A platform of ice, I’ll levitate it up. It won’t be comfortable but we’ll get there.” 

“That’s kind of cool.” And terrifying. What if the platform couldn’t hold all of them? What if they fell? Well, there was no what if for that, Owen thought. They would just die. Gavin reached out and grabbed his arm, just for a second, and Owen felt grounded again. 

“It will take just a second to prepare.” Cleo glanced at all of them. “Anyone who wants to throw up, please do it now.” Owen scowled because it looked like she was looking in his direction. 

Owen decided to look at the snow—and the ground—again while she did that, since who knew when the next time would be that he was on it. Ground was a pretty great thing, and he thought that whoever had made humans to live on it had been pretty smart—Owen wasn’t made to fly through the air or float around like a snowflake, dancing across the flat surface of the snow, defying any rule that made things fall properly. 

Owen frowned, blinking at the plateau. And drew his sword, getting the attention of everyone else. Beside him, Gavin pulled out his bow and was about to string it. “What’s wrong?” He asked.

“Isn’t it weird that there’s nothing defending this castle?” Owen asked. 

“It’s floating.” Gavin said.

“Yeah, but this guy’s a wizard. He must assume that anyone who comes after him is magic too—anyone could get up there then. Why isn’t there something…” He shook his head, taking one of the ten steps between the cliff and the mountain face. 

“If there was something here we’d know, lad.” Dennis said. “It’s natural to get nervous, but that’s no reason to start stabbing at snowflakes.” Gavin strung his bow and fiddled with an arrow, eyes on Owen. 

“There’s a lot of wind.” Owen muttered. “The snow shouldn’t be flat like this. It should be sloped downward, and gathered against the mountain there." He took another step and poked his sword down ahead of him, moving it around in the snow for a bit until it hit a buried rock.

Rocks, though, didn’t usually grab hold and pull. “Shit.” The blade was nearly yanked right out of his hand and Owen stumbled forward, trying to regain his feet and pulling back as the snow exploded and a twelve-foot ice statue burst from underneath, tossing Owen aside by the sword. An arrow flew by Owen and hit the creature in the head, inasmuch as it had a head, but that didn’t seem to do much. 

The entire plateau was exploding now and Owen heard steel being drawn as everyone else prepared to fight too. Owen spun and danced around the creatures, counting as he moved to get his back to the mountain rather than the cliff. There were nine. He could barely see in all the snow, but managed to duck under a broad arm before it could grab him, and found the creature looming over him. He put his back to the wall and lifted both legs to kick as hard as he could—the ice creature was heavy but not that heavy, and his kick sent it staggering back into another one. Owen fell to the ground and swung his sword like a club, taking a chip out of the middle of the monster’s leg. He moved to the side to avoid being grabbed and another swing sent the creature toppling forward, where it crashed against the mountain face and broke into a few pieces. 

There was a keening sound and all of the snow in the area flew away, creating a dome of clear around the plateau. Owen could see Cleo holding her arms out and wondered why she didn’t just magic the ice monsters away. The monsters had seen what she was doing as well and two of them ran at her. Owen chased after them, slamming his shoulder into one of them and pushing it forward, their combined momentum taking it over the side of the cliff. He turned and crouched low, aiming at what should have been an ankle on the second one, just enough for it to stumble before Owen snapped around behind it and gave it a good shove as well to follow after its friend. 

Owen heard a shout and turned to see Gavin, backed up to the edge of the cliff, one of the monsters advancing on him. Owen moved but Gavin moved first, leaping on the creature and grabbing around the neck, his weight dragging it forward and over the side of the cliff. “No!” But they had already gone over the side by the time Owen could take the first step, and he felt the world crumble around him as Gavin fell with the creature.

Only to be lifted up by an invisible force while the monster fell alone. Gavin hung in the air like a puppet, hovered back over to the plateau and landed with a small smile. Owen ran over to him and grabbed his shoulders, because nothing else mattered. “Are you okay?” 

“I’m fine, Cleo and I planned it. Owen, there’s still a battle.” 

They had… Owen turned away before he gave into the urge to shake Gavin until his eyes fell out. Aria had already taken out two of the monsters with her battleaxe in as many swings, and as they watched she felled a third one with a crushing blow through the upper torso. Deatra and Dennis were double-teaming the last two, hacking them to pieces with a terrifying precision. He turned back to Gavin. “ _Never do that again._ What the hell?” Did Gavin not realize he’d nearly died? Owen still felt like he couldn’t breathe. 

“You were right.” Gavin said. “They were here to stop any magical people from getting to the castle—Cleo’s magic couldn’t hurt them but it could still work on us. And the snow, I guess.”

“And you thought jumping off a mountain was a good idea. Gav—Gabe. You are supposed to be the smart one.” 

“Sorry.” Gavin had the grace to look a little embarrassed before he leaned up and gave Owen a kiss on the cheek. “I’m sorry I scared you, Owen. I won’t do it again.” 

“You’d better not. If you die I’d just…”

“Alright.” Aria announced, interrupting Owen. “That’s dealt with. Good call, Owen. If you hadn’t provoked them they’d have attacked when Cleo tried to lift us off the ground.” Gavin smiled, but Owen just nodded. “Now let’s get up there.” 

Snow gathered at their feet and the ground underneath them seemed to shine for a second. Owen grabbed Gavin on instinct as they were all lifted from the ground. There was nothing visible under their feet but they all floated up as if there was. “Does it have to be invisible?” Owen asked weakly, thoughts of the battle already fleeing his mind. 

“No.” Cleo said, with a small smile. “But it is. Try not to fall.”

Owen gripped Gavin’s arm tighter and forced himself to look up instead of down, at the ice castle steadily growing closer to them. The wind tore at them as they rose and the cold returned, banishing the heat of the battle to nibble at their fingertips and ears, and seep through their clothes. Owen kept his eyes on the castle and thought that he was ready for winter to be over and done with.


	16. Adventures are Inherently Dangerous but also Quite Rewarding

“This is kind of stupid.” Owen declared.

“You thought it was awesome an hour ago.” Gavin muttered, looking around the hall they’d found themselves in, carved out of glittering ice like the rest of the castle. 

“It is—to look at, and as an idea. But that doesn’t mean it’s not stupid. How do you live in a castle made of ice? What does he eat? Where’s his latrine? Does he have ice sculptures cooking and cleaning for him? This doesn’t make any sense.” 

“Well he’s obviously insane.” Cleo said testily. She’d been on edge ever since they’d arrived in the castle, and had said it was because of the amount of magic in the air here. “I don’t think you try to freeze the world in eternal winter unless you are.”

“He’s also got a healthy taste for the theatrical.” Aria muttered, fingers brushing along a geometric pattern that seemed carved into the wall. “Moreso than common sense, probably. A floating ice palace is a bit…much.” 

“Hold on.” Deatra interrupted. “Have we thought this through? Isn’t the whole castle going to come crashing down when we kill him?” 

Owen hadn’t thought of that but suddenly it was all he could think about, because they were in a building that was _hanging in midair._ He felt himself tense up, suddenly aware of how high up they were even though they were inside and he couldn’t see through the walls of the castle. 

Cleo answered before he could freak out too hard, though. “No, most likely not. He can’t possibly be perpetually powering a levitation spell that large. He’s got to have some kind of relic that’s doing it for him. The castle will keep floating until the relic runs out of power or the ice melts.” 

“As dramatic as it might be to escape the crumbling ruins of the villain’s castle after we’ve vanquished him,” Gavin said with a barely audible sigh, “in this case I think I’m happy with a mundane stroll out the front door.” 

The hall opened up into a large atrium-style room with a vaulted roof, a wide set of stairs in the centre and a set or ornate double doors at the top of those stairs. “Given his displays of creativity until now, I’d say that’s likely where we’re going.” Aria said. 

“No way he makes all this unless he’s hoping people come.” Dennis growled as they carefully made their way up the stairs. “Decorations and fancy designs. He’s been waiting for someone to try and stop him. He’ll be in there sitting on a bloody throne of ice and he’ll have his little speech about how powerful he is all prepared.”

“Hopefully.” Aria nodded as they all assembled at the top of the stairs, and loosened her battleaxe. Following her lead, the rest of them prepared their weapons as well. “If Dennis is right, we kill him before he finishes the speech.” She paused, glancing at Cleo. “I expect all of you to survive this, got it?”

Owen nodded and the rest did as well, and Aria stepped forward, kicked the doors in. A blast of icy wind burst through them when they opened, and Cleo waved a hand and Owen felt the chill lessen before it faded entirely. Aria led them in. 

The throne room was a large, open space with one wall broken by a series of archways that led to balconies outside. Wind howled outside, but none of it ever seemed to enter the palace. At the far end of the room, as Dennis had predicted, was a tall throne upon which was sat a wiry man in a blue robe and a sparkling crown who looked to be in the late stages of hypothermia. His skin was ashen in places and blue at the lips, fingers, around his eyes, which were the colour of ice and trained on their group as they came in. He rose as they came in. “Well met, warriors of summer.” He rasped. “You must be exceedingly talented to have made it to my sanctuary, but I regret to tell you…”

Aria gestured with her free hand and both Cleo and Gavin took aim, fire springing from Cleo’s palms and an arrow loosing from Gavin’s bow, flying straight for the wizard’s face. The wizard waved an emaciated hand and the fire petered out, the arrow became covered in frost and fell to the wayside. “Go.” Aria commanded. 

“Told you.” Dennis mumbled to Owen, giving him a light shove to the left. Owen just smiled and went, moving a little more slowly than he would have liked because even though there was decent enough traction, the floors were still made from ice. 

A blast of freezing wind slowed Owen and Dennis to a halt, and Dennis planted his sword on the floor to avoid being blown back. Owen just grabbed his arm and tried not to fall. “Children today.” The wizard lamented. “No patience.” 

“You’re just mad because we interrupted your stupid speech about how evil you are.” Owen called, because he didn’t need to be told that he and Dennis were the distraction in this equation. 

“Idiot child.” The wizard’s words were punctuated by a cracking sound from above and Owen pulled Dennis back a step as an ice monster like those they’d fought outside dropped from the ceiling to land in front of them. “This is not about good and evil.” Several more were doing the same throughout the room. Owen grimaced, reflecting that there were no convenient cliffs to push them off of this time, and let Dennis engage the monster before ducking under its arm to run at the wizard.

At three paces he was lifted from his feet and Owen felt himself crushed by an invisible force. He cried out in pain even as he struggled to free himself, focusing his attention on not dropping his sword. He tasted blood in his mouth.

Suddenly Owen fell to the ground and when he looked up Aria was swinging her axe at the wizard with terrifying force, and though he stopped it with his magic, Owen saw him buckle under the strain. Using Aria to block his vision from her, Deatra swung in quickly and took the wizard in the arm. The wizard stumbled back with a shriek, blood spurting and freezing in midair. A cocoon of cold wrapped around the wizard and Owen, Aria and Deatra were all thrown back and slammed into far walls. Frost had formed on Owen’s armour. 

As he got to his feet, Owen noticed Gavin pulling Cleo away from an ice monster, bow still clutched in his free hand. Another monster ran at them from behind and knocked them both down and as Owen started in that direction, he was blocked by yet another one. “Fuck off.” He snarled, having at the thing with his sword. Dennis cried out from somewhere but Owen couldn’t see him. 

He went for the same tactics he’d used on the mountain, aiming for the monster’s ankles to topple it, but at the first strike it kicked Owen back into the wall and stars exploded across his retinae as it geared up for a heavy punch that Owen just barely slid away from. 

All of the sudden there was a howling in the air, a sound like the screaming of a thousand children, and a huge rend opened in the world. Owen caught a glimpse of swirling red and orange and dark, and then a heavy arm of dark purple emerged, followed by another and two legs, the body following. The demon was at least fifteen feet tall and naked but for the chains that wrapped around its body and ran back through the portal.

Owen stood frozen for just a second as, screaming, the demon began to attack the ice monsters with a ferocity that shook the room. The screaming wasn’t one creature but countless, and in pieces Owen thought he could hear every one of them, he could make out words, voices, agony…

“A demon?” How the wizard managed to be heard over the cacophony Owen didn’t know, but his voice rang clear. “How? Entire clans of sorcerers have been killed…”

“You’ll notice I’m by myself.” Cleo’s voice said, through the demon’s screams. She was standing near the entrance of the room, arms thrown wide and sorcery visibly crackling around her. 

Gavin was standing behind Cleo and caught Owen’s eye, jerking his head towards the wizard with clear impatience. _Right._ The wizard and all the ice monsters were distracted. Owen moved towards the throne, giving the demon as wide a berth as he possibly could, noting that Gavin was moving as well around the other side. 

The wizard was standing in front of the throne with his arms flung forward, some crackling energy emanating from them, trying to push the demon backwards. Owen wasn’t entirely sure he didn’t want it to work. As Owen approached, Deatra and Dennis leapt on him at the same time and were thrown back by a concussive wave that popped Owen’s eardrums, and then Aria used the distraction to come at him with a blow that would cut him in half. But a spear of ice hit her from behind, through the shoulder, and Aria faltered and her blow missed. 

With no time to worry for any of the three of them, Owen ran forward, trying to stay in the wizard’s blind spot for now, noting that the ice on the floor was slipperier than it had been. Before Owen reached him the wizard jerked back just in time for Gavin’s arrow to go through his arm instead of his heart, creating the perfect opening for Owen.

“Idiots!” The wizard screamed, gesturing at Gavin. “I’ve no time for you!” And Gavin was lifted from the ground and tossed to the other side of the room in the direction of the open arches, as if he weighed nothing. 

Owen wasn’t good at math, but it took him an instant to measure Gavin’s trajectory in his head and realize that he was going to go right through a doorway and over the balcony. “Gavin!” He shouted, turning, forcing himself to move faster than Gavin was, running to catch him. He watched Gavin fly, his thighs striking the balcony railing as he fell over. Owen couldn’t run fast enough, even as he dove through the archway he knew he wasn’t fast enough, and Gavin had gone over, and down, and he was gone and Owen was going to follow him because there was no way he could…

His shoulder nearly popped out of its socket as Owen slammed into the balcony railing, his arm in between two rail posts, his hand wrapped around Gavin’s wrist. “Of my God.” He whispered, tears freezing on his face. “Oh my God. Gavin.”

“I’m fine!” Gavin snapped, though he was shaken, his voice nearly carried away by the wind. He dangled, he dangled a mile above anything resembling ground, held there by Owen’s hand and nothing else. “I’m okay, Owen. Just pull me up.” 

“Okay. Okay.” Owen worked his other arm through the rails. “Give me your other hand.” 

“I don’t know if I can reach.” Gavin was trying, Owen could see, to reach up with his free hand, but they weren’t quite connecting and the way he was swinging to manage it made Owen worry he’d lose his grip. “Owen, you need to pull me up, I can’t reach.”

“Okay. Okay, I’m going to pull.” He grabbed Gavin’s wrist in both hands and pulled, pulled as hard as he could from his belly with no leverage. Gavin was smaller than he was, Owen reminded himself as his arm burned, and he was the strong one. Owen could do this, he had to be able to do this, and when he felt Gavin slip just a little in his grip, Owen heaved with all of his might and suddenly Gavin’s hand clasped around the rail and he was able to bring his other up as well. The entire castle seemed to shake and a scream filled everything in the world, but Owen didn’t turn to look as he worked himself into a sitting position, helping Gavin up until his arms reached the banister rail and he was able to get his foot up onto the balcony. After that it was a simple enough climb and Gavin was over. “Oh, God.” Owen crushed Gavin in a hug, trying to calm his shaking. “Oh, God, Gavin. I thought you’d fallen.” 

“I didn’t fall. You didn’t let me fall, Owen.” Gavin hugged him back, but let go too soon. “We’re not done yet, Owen. You dropped your sword.”

“Yeah, I did.” Owen cast around, saw it lying on the ground just inside the room, Gavin’s bow not too far away. The wizard, he saw as they made their way back into the room, seemed to be pushing the demon back with his power. The ice monsters were all shattered on the floor and as Owen kicked his sword up into his hand and then kicked Gavin’s bow over to him, the demon was forced back through the rip in the air, and it seemed to snap shut in a way that sent a ripple through everything and threw Cleo from her feet. 

None of the others were up, Owen noted in the thunderous roll of silence that followed. The wizard put his hands on his knees and panted, surveying the room. He didn’t look in their direction. Owen raised his sword, almost took a step forward and stopped. If the wizard saw him that would be it. “You almost killed Gavin.” He whispered, shifting his grip and tossing the sword, blade-first, across the room. 

It struck the wizard in the neck at the same time an arrow took him in the eye. Blood spurted in a violent arc and clattered to the floor, frozen. Pinned to his throne of ice by Owen’s sword, the wizard jerked once, twice, then didn’t move again. 

Owen just stood there for a minute and looked at him. “It still doesn’t feel right.” He muttered. 

Gavin slipped his hand into Owen’s. “It’s not supposed to.”

“It was easier this time, though. Because he hurt you.”

“He hurt you too.” 

“It isn’t okay.” Owen realized. He felt like he wanted to cry but couldn’t because part of him was happy the wizard was dead. “He hurt you and that was a good enough reason for me to kill him and that’s not okay.”

“No, it isn’t.” Gavin agreed, squeezing his hand. “But you realize that, and that matters. Let’s go see if the rest of them are okay. And Owen? He hurt you and that was a good enough reason for me too. And it isn’t okay but that’s the way it is.” 

“Okay.” Owen nodded, wishing he didn’t feel quite so happy about that. “Okay, let’s go.” He headed towards Aria, movements a little dull, and crouched down beside her. She was moving, trying to sit. “Are you okay?”

“Well, I’m not going to die.” She grunted, pulled on Owen to get into a sitting position. Looked first at the dead wizard, then the spear of ice in her shoulder, and grimaced. “Probably.”

“That’s not really reassuring.”

“Cleo can heal me.”

Owen cast a glance over his shoulder, saw that Cleo was sitting with her back to a wall, taking deep breaths. “She looks pretty tired.”

“Summoning Steve does that to her. She’ll be okay in a few minutes.”

“She…the demon’s name is Steve?”

“That’s just what I call him. I can’t pronounce his name. Good job on the wizard.”

“Just a lucky throw.” 

“You need to be a little less humble.” Aria said, sighing in clear pain. “Help me stand. Can’t take this out yet or I’ll start bleeding. The others?”

“Gabe’s checking with them.” A glance showed him that Gavin was sitting with Deatra on the floor and that Dennis was already up and pacing the room. “They seem okay.”

“And you and Gabe? You’re both okay?” Owen nodded. “Good. Owen, when he got thrown, I could have sworn I heard you shout ‘Gavin.’” 

Owen didn’t say anything until he’d gotten her to her feet and was helping her pick across the shattered ice to where Cleo was. “I could have sworn I heard a lot of things.” He said. “All the noise Steve was making. It was like a million people shouting at once.”

Aria coughed out a laugh. “Good, that’s good. Say it a little more confidently next time, but most people should be fooled. The dragon story, it doesn’t really have a horse in it, does it?”

“No.”

Aria nodded. “Demon summoning is a rather taboo topic these days. I’d rather it didn’t get around that Cleo can do it.” 

Catching her meaning immediately, Owen nodded. “Nobody’s going to hear about it from us.”

“Good.” A shout from behind them had both of them turning, Aria moving away from Owen and pulling a knife from inside her shirt. 

It was Dennis who had shouted, a wordless cry of revulsion. And Owen saw why pretty quickly. There was a long red centipede crawling out of the dead wizard’s mouth. “What the hell?” Deatra demanded. 

“Kill it.” Cleo’s voice was shaky but strong, and her gaze was fixed on the centipede. “Kill it quickly.” 

Aria nodded and Owen moved forward, crossing the space to the throne in four steps and yanking his sword from the wizard’s neck. The centipede reared as if to bite him or something and Owen hacked its head off with one slice. The body twitched for a second before falling limp, still not entirely free of the wizard’s body. “That.” Owen said, nauseous suddenly. “Was really gross.”

“I wonder if he was really alive.” Aria mused, staggering over to join Owen. 

“What, you think that thing was controlling him?” Dennis demanded, eyes fixed on the dead insect. 

“Could be.” Aria hissed again as if suddenly reminded of the pain in her shoulder, and turned back to where Cleo was. “Let’s get patched up and get the hell out of here.” 

“But what about…”

“Sometimes there aren’t answers, Owen.” Aria said tightly. “Just more questions.” 

Owen wasn’t satisfied with that, but Gavin put a hand on his shoulder and nodded. “There’s no point in worrying—anyone that might have told us about it is dead or not here.” 

“And that’s good enough for you?”

“No, but I want to get the fuck out of this floating deathtrap.”

“Right.” Owen looked at his feet for a second before offering Gavin a smile. “I love you.” 

“You’re such a sap.” Gavin said, taking Owen’s hand and guiding him towards the doors. 

“I don’t care. You almost died and I haven’t told you today that I love you.” He was going to have nightmares about Gavin falling, Owen knew. 

“You told me this morning.” But Gavin’s expression softened and he lifted Owen’s hand, kissed the knuckles. “I love you too. Now come on. We did a good thing and now I want to get out of the cold.” 

“Yeah.” Owen decided against telling Gavin that he wasn’t cold, not as long as Gavin held his hand like that. “Let’s do that.”


	17. Inevitability Has a Funny Way of Creeping up on You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had this chapter planned out in my head pretty much from the beginning of the story. I'm excited to finally be able to share it.

Owen had to admit that, even if nobody was paying particular attention to them, he still felt pretty cool riding down the streets of Merket with the rest of their little party. Now that enough time had passed after the battle with the wizard, it was easier to remember it as them having saved the world, and for the moment at least, ignore some of the horror that had come along with it. 

Still, though, Owen did wonder if everyone in this line of work had nightmares from everything they’d seen—one quest had been enough to give him one or two, and he didn’t want to ask Aria or Dennis or anyone, just in case it was only him. 

“You’re strutting.” Gavin said beside him. 

“I am not.” Owen answered immediately, because he wasn’t. 

“You are.”

“I’m riding a horse. You can’t strut while riding a horse.” 

“Sure you can.” Gavin said, in defiance of whatever laws dictated what words meant. “It’s in your posture, and your attitude. You’re riding your horse as though you’re the greatest thing.” 

“Wait.” A grin split Owen’s face. “You mean I’m not?” 

“And you’re sleeping on the floor tonight.”

“Hey!”

“Oh, he’s earned the right to throw himself a private parade, Gabe.” Deatra said from behind them. “We all have, but mostly him. That’s what being young is for.”

“And God knows humbleness is not an asset in this profession.” Aria put in from up front. “Owen could stand to lose some.”

“That’s easy for all of you to say.” Gavin grumbled. “ _I_ have to keep living with him after today.” 

“I’m sure you have ways of making him be quiet when he’s annoying you.” Cleo said.

Gavin just directed a small smile at Owen that had Owen’s face turning red. “I guess I do.” 

“You all make it sound like I’m taking all the credit.” Owen squeaked. “It’s not all about me—you all did more than I did.”

“Yeah, but you did the important part, lad.” Dennis said gruffly. “The part that people remember.” 

“Only because you taught me well.”

Dennis laughed. “True enough. They say young men boast about their accomplishments and old men boast about their pupils. Maybe I’m older than I thought.”

Owen turned his grin on Dennis now. “The confusion was probably just your memory going.” 

“It occurs to me,” Dennis said, eyes narrowed, “that we’ve never had a contest, you and I. Maybe it’s time I taught you a lesson or five about respect.”

“He would pulverize you, Dennis.” Cleo said with a shake of her head.

“I don’t think I would.” Owen had nothing on people who had been fighting for decades and he knew it. 

“Good answer, lad.”

“Humbleness.” Aria reminded him. “A little strutting never killed anyone.”

“Except for legions of people Owen’s age.” Deatra said pointedly. 

“Well, that’s not a depressing thought at all.” 

“We’re here.” Aria announced. She’d been leading them to an inn that she liked in the city. She wanted them to stay as a group for long enough for her to go back to whoever had commissioned this quest and let them know it was over—just in case there was a reward after all. Sometimes, she said, these things would materialize after a successful quest, even if they hadn’t been promised.

They went first to the stable off the side of the inn, to take care of their tired horses. Aria finished first and went inside to buy their rooms for the night while the rest of them worked on the animals. “About the strutting.” Gavin said quietly as he brushed.

“I wasn’t…”

“I wasn’t complaining.” Gavin turned around and put an arm around Owen, kissing him on the neck. “It suits you. And Aria’s right. You’re too humble. Remember that guy I fell in love with? The one who thought he could find a dragon everyone was looking for, kill it with no training and fuck the princess after? And who was proven right about most of those things?”

Owen coloured again. Sometimes he got embarrassed just thinking about what he’d believed about the world before he met Gavin. “Just trying not to be an asshole is all.”

“And that’s admirable. But walk a little taller, okay? You deserve it.” 

“Okay. I’ll try.”

“What was that?”

“I said I will.” Owen corrected.

“Good.” Gavin patted him on the back and went back to his horse. “When you’re finished, why don’t you take our stuff inside and wait for me in our room? We can, ah, relax for a while until Aria gets back?”

Owen grinned to himself. “Aw, I don’t know.” He said, playing dumb. “I’m kind of hungry. Can’t we eat?”

“After.” Gavin said, amused. “We’ll work up an appetite.”

“We’ll work up an appetite relaxing?” Owen asked. “I don’t think that’s the right way to do it.”

“Trust me, it is. Especially after weeks of a tent and the cold.”

“I feel like you’re getting at something, but I’m not following.” Owen said, finishing brushing his horse and putting everything away. 

Gavin chuckled. “Sorry, let me be more clear. Go into the room and take off your clothes. When I get there I’m going to get on my knees, and…”

“We can hear you two.” Cleo’s voice drifted over from where she was finishing with her own horse. “Just as a reminder.”

“I know.” Gavin called back, while Owen, eyes wide, tried to pretend he wasn’t here. “Owen’s have a little trouble understanding what I want.”

“No, I think I’ve got it.” Owen mumbled, grabbing most their bags and hoping the way he held them in front of himself wasn’t too obvious. “I think I’ll go wait for you. In the room.”

“Now, there’s an idea.” Gavin said. Owen didn’t need to look to know he was smiling. “I’ll grab the rest of our stuff.” There was only one more bag and their weapons. “I’ll only be a minute.”

“Hurry.” Owen muttered quietly as he left, exiting the stable and out into the bright spring sun. 

In the second or so that he stood there, blinded by the light, he heard someone say, “There he is, grab him, quickly.” And before he had time to even wonder who they were talking about two people about his age ran at him, grabbed either arm.

“What the hell?” Owen didn’t have time to say more than that. He saw others approaching, and they were all armed. So he leapt back, swinging his arms together with as much strength as he could manage and dropping the bags in the process. The two grabbing him stumbled forward and collided with each other and Owen wrenched himself free from their grips. One of them fell to the ground and Owen elbowed the one who didn’t in the face and he went down as well. 

“Shit, get him!” This was accompanied by the sound of steel being drawn and Owen turned into time to see a sword swinging down at him from the left.

“Fuck.” Owen ducked to the right, grabbed his attacker’s sword arm and kneed him in the stomach, bringing his elbow onto the back of his head as he doubled over, then pivoted to the side to avoid this one’s partner, grabbing his arm and striking him on the chin with the flat of his palm. Owen spun and brought this one with him, tossing him to land on top of the other one. As he fell, Owen relieved his attacker of his sword. 

_Who knew I’d need my armour to walk into the street?_ Owen thought to himself as he turned at the sound of another attacker. This one was much older than Owen, as were the two Owen could see behind him, fanning out to flank him. Owen recognized them from somewhere, but there was no time to place them.

“Drop it and surrender peacefully, boy.” The man said, and when Owen made a face, his opponent lunged forward, displaying a lot of skill as he fought. Owen held him off for a few paces, moving slowly to the right, until he was in the reach of the second man, who reached out to attack. 

Owen darted to the side and around, got behind the man and clapped the flat of his sword against the back of the man’s knees, shoving him into the first man. “What the hell do you people want?” 

There was no answer and the third of the men leapt over the jumble that the first two had landed in, sword set to swing down in a hard slash. Owen ducked, aimed for his feet just before they hit the ground and got under him, using the man’s forward momentum to carry him over Owen’s head, slamming him into the ground. 

Owen let go of the man’s ankles just in time to clumsily block a strike from the fourth person he hadn’t seen. 

It was Gabrielle.

“What the hell?” Owen demanded, stepping back to recover both from his shock and his poor stance. “Gabrielle, what are you doing?” 

Except he knew what she was doing. 

“Tell me where Gavin is, Owen.” She said, eyes hard. “Tell me and I won’t kill you.” 

There was no point in lying. She knew, he could see it. And even if she didn’t, the look that he knew was on his face would have told her. “He’s there in the stable.”

“Someone saw you go in. He wasn’t with you.” Gabrielle struck like a viper, though the strength behind it put Owen more in mind of a bear. Unlike the rest of her knights, she was wearing her full armour. 

“Go and look for yourself!” Owen demanded. It was all he could do to block her attacks like this. Owen leapt to the right, forcing her to follow, and swung as hard as he could to knock her sword away, throwing her arm wide long enough for him to aim a kick square at her belly, sending her back a few paces. 

But Gabrielle recovered quickly and got under Owen’s guard, sword coming up to lodge under his arm. Until, with a crash, her sword nearly flew from her hands and Gabrielle staggered. A shattered arrow fell to the ground between them. Owen kicked Gabrielle’s hand but she didn’t drop the blade, and pulled herself forward with a growl and smashed her head into Owen’s, dazing him. Her sword came to rest at his neck, her other hand holding him by the collar. “Now.” She said. “Tell me where he is.”

“Who do you think shot that arrow?” Owen said, still blinking stars from his eyes. 

“What?”

“Gabrielle!” Gavin’s voice rang out. All around them Gabrielle’s people were picking themselves up, mostly uninjured but looking very unhappy. Some of them were raising weapons at Gavin, who was standing in the doorway of the stable, bow strung and a second arrow nocked.

Aimed at his sister. “Let him go.” 

“Gavin.” Gabrielle said, moving to take a step at him before looking back at Owen. Gavin had cut his hair and changed its colour, Owen remembered vaguely. Someone who didn’t know him wouldn’t have recognized him easily. “Restrain him.” She ordered, and Owen was grabbed from behind, his stolen sword taken away. His arms were held in place behind his back by someone much stronger than he was. Only then did Gabrielle move off, heading towards her brother. 

Gavin still had his arrow nocked. “I said let him go.”

“Gavin.” Gabrielle said, and the pain in her voice made Owen look down at the ground. “It’s okay. It’s me, Gabrielle. Lower your weapon. Nobody’s going to hurt you.” 

“Gavin?” The other three had appeared behind him now. Dennis and Deatra were looking around and fingering their weapons. “Gabe?” Cleo asked, and Owen blinked. He’d assumed Aria would have told her, at least. “What’s going on?”

Gavin sighed, looking around at all of them. Considering. “You can’t, Gavin.” Owen called. 

“Shut up.”

“If you start a fight everyone’s going to get killed.” Owen said, not listening to the man holding him. 

“Yeah.” Gavin said with a sigh, lowering his bow. “I’m sorry, Owen.” 

“It’s not your fault.” It was Owen’s, and they both knew it.

“What the hell is going on?” Cleo demanded, eyes darting from Gavin to Owen to Gabrielle. “Someone explain.” 

“That’s Prince Gavin in front of you.” Gabrielle announced. “My brother. And this criminal here is under arrest for kidnapping and rape.”

“Hey!”

“No, Gabrielle.” Gavin took a step forward. “Owen hasn’t done anything wrong. And absolutely not that.” 

“I don’t care what he’s told you, Gavin.” Gabrielle said. “He’s going to face justice for everything he’s done to you.”

“ _Done_ to me?” Gavin demanded, a little shrill. “Gabrielle, you have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“I do.”

“I’m in love with him.”

The silence that followed that pronouncement stretched for a bit. A crowd had gathered during the fighting and was now watching, and their silent murmuring filled the air. Owen found himself shaking. _Kidnapping and rape._ It had seemed like a joke before, the fact that the knights were out looking for them. It didn’t seem like a joke anymore. He wanted to speak up, insist that he hadn’t done that, but…

He should have taken Gavin to the capital when they’d met and he knew that. 

“It’s normal to think that after such prolonged captivity.” Gabrielle said finally. “I’m sorry I couldn’t find you sooner, Gavin. I’m taking you back to the capital, he’ll be hanged and you’ll get better, I promise.”

“No!”

 _Hanged?_ The word ran through Owen like a bolt of lightning. She was going to kill him. He was going to die. 

She was going to separate him from Gavin. Owen thought numbly that if that was going to happen, he may as well be hanged anyway. 

“Funny how you didn’t mention a trial.” Heads swung around to see Aria coming out from the inn. 

The knights moved to block her. “Ma’am, stay back.”

“You’ll move that arm if you want to keep it.” She said to the one in front of her, and gently shoved him aside, moving until she was parallel not with Gabrielle but with Owen. “Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine.” Owen mumbled. It didn’t matter if he was hurt.

“Eight knights.” She said quietly, looking at them. “Four of them in training, admittedly, but it took eight knights to capture you. Remember that next time you want to be humble.” 

While Owen looked at her, she stood straight and addressed Gabrielle. “A trial.” She said clearly. “You say you’re going to hang him as if you yourself will be tying the noose, but the charges you’ve laid against him require a trial. Unless our future queen believes herself above the law?” 

Gabrielle locked gazes with Aria for a long minute. “Of course there will be a trial.” She said finally. “Who are you?”

“Aria Hammertooth. I’ll speak in Owen’s defence.” The silence that followed that was more electric than before. 

“Why?” Gabrielle demanded. “Why do you care?” 

“Because talent like Owen’s shouldn’t be wasted at a gallows.” She said. “And because he’s not guilty of the crimes you’ve accused him of. And because you have him to thank for this lovely spring weather we’re all enjoying.” She smiled. “Because I’ve watched him nearly kill himself to protect Gavin, and if you think either of them would hurt the other it’s only because you don’t know them.” 

“Aria, you knew about this?” Cleo asked. Aria didn’t answer, which was answer enough. 

“I should have you arrested for conspiring.” Gabrielle said, scowling. 

“Go ahead.” 

“Deatra and I will stand up for the lad too.” Dennis announced, and though Deatra gave him a bemused look, she nodded. 

Gabrielle started to say something, but Gavin laid a hand on her arm. “You have no proof that Owen’s committed a crime, Gabi.” He said. “He’s entitled to a trial.”

When Gabrielle looked at Gavin the anger faded from her face and Owen had to look away again. “I was so worried about you, Gavin.” She whispered. 

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.” Gabrielle said with a sigh. “Fine, he’ll have a trial. We’re leaving for the capital in the morning.” She raised her voice. “Find somewhere to lock him up overnight.” 

Gabrielle grabbed Gavin’s arm when he started in Owen’s direction. “No.”

“Two minutes, Gabrielle.” Gavin said. “Then you have me to yourself after that. Give me two minutes.” _Or expect me to stop cooperating,_ Owen read in Gavin’s stance.

Gabrielle must have seen it as well, because she let him go with an abrupt nod and Gavin hurried over to where Owen was behind held. “I’m so sorry.” He whispered, brushing Owen’s forehead where Gabrielle had hit him.

“No, I’m sorry, Gavin. This is my fault.” And now he was going to pay for it. 

“Stop acting like you’ve done something wrong, Owen.” Gavin said, tone hard. Owen looked up at him. He was wearing a firm mask, one of confidence and power. Only Owen could see it shaking right now. “Walk taller, remember? If you act guilty, they’ll assume you are.” 

“I am. I kidnapped you. I didn’t take you back home like I should have, and…” And he’d taken advantage of Gavin. He had.

“Shut up.” Gavin hissed. “Do you believe for a second that you did anything without my consent?” 

“I…” Owen thought about it and…he couldn’t picture himself making Gavin so much as get dressed in the morning. “No.” He said, a small smile on his lips. 

“Good. I love you, Owen. Gabrielle’s pissed, but she’ll figure that out eventually.”

“She wants to kill me.” And he wasn’t sure she was wrong to. “I mean, do you blame her?”

“Yes, and she’ll get over it. Owen.” He met Owen’s eyes. “You’ve spent a lot of time keeping me safe, protecting me. It’s time for you to let me protect you now, okay?” 

Slowly, Owen nodded. Of course Gavin wasn’t just going to let them hang him. Of course Gavin was going to protect him. “Okay.” He said quietly. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Gavin said, kissing him on the cheek. “I love you too, Owen. It’s going to be okay. I promise.” 

Owen nodded, because when Gavin said that he could believe it. After that, after he was led away, he clung to Gavin’s promise, and to his own trust in Gavin. 

It was going to be okay. It had to be.


	18. Fighting Can Take a Lot of Different Forms

The cage was small, too small to even sit comfortably in. The wagon on which it sat bounced up and down on the road, jostling Owen constantly to remind him of the pains in his shoulders and back from sitting in it. His hands were manacled together, as were his feet, and he had two guards at all times, usually freeriders from Gabrielle’s party, but sometimes knights. They never spoke to him, But Owen often suffered under dirty looks from the knights and especially the squires he’d beaten in Merket. 

One squire in particular, the one whose nose he’d broken, liked to ask his knight, Sir Devin, questions about how long trials took and what hanging must feel like. His name was Warren and Owen kind of felt sorry for him. He’d heard the poor kid getting made fun of for how he’d fared in the skirmish. Not that any of the other knights had done any better, he thought. 

Owen’s stomach rumbled, but he knew he wasn’t going to be fed until sundown when the party stopped, and it was just after noon now. And even then, he’d get a heel of bread and some water. 

_It’s going to be okay._ He thought dully. Gavin was going to protect him. Gavin had promised that Gabrielle would let up after a while, but it had been five days and no sign that she was any less angry with Owen. 

He didn’t notice that someone new had ridden up to his cage until he heard one of today’s guards, a freerider named Carter, arguing with them. “Nobody’s allowed to speak to the prisoner, you know that.” 

“I do know that, as a matter of fact.” Aria said. Owen looked up and saw her through the bars. She didn’t seem cowed by Carter or his partner, whose name Owen didn’t know but who looked similar enough that they might have been brothers. “So why are you wasting both of our time telling me?”

“Can’t let you talk to him.” Carter insisted. “It’s a day’s pay if the princess finds out.”

“Well, I hardly plan to tell her, do you?” Aria asked, and she reached into her pocket and tossed Carter something that clinked like coin. “You can’t make that much a day. You’re welcome to skewer me if I try to let him out.” 

Carter’s hesitation was palpable, and eventually he looked down the train nervously. “A few minutes, that’s all.”

“Thank you for being reasonable.” Aria nudged her mount closer to Owen’s cage, and watched Carter and his partner until they’d moved back out of hearing. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m fine.” Owen said immediately, shifting a little to try and get closer to her. “How’s Gavin? Is he okay?” 

Aria smiled at him. “He’s fine. He’s very unhappy, but he’s fine. He’s got twice the guard you do.”

“Why?” Owen demanded. “What’s happened? Gavin hasn’t done anything…”

“Calm down. He keeps trying to sneak away from the front and come back to see you. He tries at least twice a day, so Gabrielle’s set two pairs of knights to watch him day and night. I’m worried he’ll hurt one of them eventually.” 

“He probably will.” Owen muttered, smiling despite himself. “They…they wouldn’t hurt him back, right? I mean, they’re knights, so…”

“He’ll be fine, Owen.”

“Can you tell him not to try? I don’t want him to get hurt because of me. I don’t want…”

“He’s not allowed to talk to us either.” Aria glanced at Carter and his brother. “But I’ll tell him, not that it will help. He’s just as iron-headed as you are.” 

“Is Gabrielle…”

“She still wants to hang you as far as I know. I understand Gavin’s made it quite clear he plans to raise a rebellion against her future rule if she does, but she’s not swayed.”

“She’s his sister.” Owen mumbled. “She’s probably used to his way of negotiating.” He looked up at Aria. “Why’d you agree to stand up for me?”

“Because there’s a shortage of decent people in the world.” Aria said promptly. “And hanging one of them seems shortsighted. Gabrielle ought to know better than this.”

There was more to it than that. Owen had had a lot of time to think sitting here in this wretched cage. “I wasn’t going to say anything.” He said after a second. 

“I know.” Aria smiled at him again. “Because you’re a decent person.” 

“I feel like you know something that I don’t.”

“The magnitude of things I know that you don’t could level cities, Owen.” Aria said, looking towards the front of the column at something Owen couldn’t see. “But in this particular case, I’m just trying to protect you and Gavin.”

Owen felt a chill run through him. Pains forgotten, he shifted a little closer. “What does Gavin need protection from?” 

“Hopefully nothing more than the monsters that you’ve been keeping away from him all this time.” Aria said, still looking ahead. “Someone has to do it until you get your sword back.” 

“Everyone here has a sword.” Owen said, sitting back miserably. “Gavin doesn’t need me.” 

“You’re an idiot if you think that. He doesn’t love any of those people, his sister notwithstanding, I assume. I will not have you sitting here assuming that everything is over and Gavin is just going to live the rest of his life without you.”

Owen didn’t say anything to that. For all Gavin’s assurances that it was going to be okay, Owen couldn’t quite help but picture their futures moving apart from one another, even if he wasn’t hanged. 

“Owen.” Aria said, getting his attention again. “I know you’re trusting Gavin to get you out of this cage, but I expect you to take steps in that direction yourself.” 

“How?”

“You’ll figure something out. Your guards are forbidden from talking to you by order. That order doesn’t bind you.” 

“What…” Owen straightened as best he could, working that out. “I could try talking to them. Most of them hate me, though.”

“I think you know that’s not true. If I hated everyone who’d bested me in one skirmish, I’d have no friends in the world. So do that stupid thing that boys and men do where you bond over having tried to maim one another.” 

“Don’t women do it too?”

“Admittedly, yes.” Aria conceded. “That doesn’t stop me from thinking of it as a boy thing, though.” 

Owen smiled. “I feel like we could have been good friends if things had turned out differently.”

“I feel like we could be anyway, Owen.” 

“Alright, that’s long enough.” Carter had ridden back up alongside Aria. “Guard’s changing and it’s not worth my skin to be seen letting you near him.”

Aria nodded and rode away from the cage. She looked back at Owen one last time. “I’ll talk to you again.” Owen nodded, a new feeling of hope taking root in his chest. Maybe it wasn’t so bleak as he’d thought before. 

Aria rode off and eventually Carter and his brother were relieved by Sir Devin and Warren. Devin was a dark and shiny man with a triangular beard, and Warren had dark eyes and a rather charming birthmark on one cheek. His nose was still swollen and Owen couldn’t tell if he was scowly by nature of if that was just around him. He glared at Owen as the two of them approached.

Owen considered for a minute. “I’m still waiting for my thank you, by the way.” He said finally. 

Warren didn’t say anything, but did glance in his direction briefly. “I mean, I didn’t get a chance to see you before, but it’s clear I made you prettier by smashing your face in.” 

A flood of colour filled Warren’s face and he nearly turned to face Owen. “Fuck you.” 

“You’re not supposed to talk to me.” Owen reminded him. “I appreciate the offer, though. Is attacking people nose-first a normal fighting style where you’re from?” 

“Enough from you.” Sir Devin said before Warren could respond again. The hint of a smile playing at his lips was all the affirmation Owen needed. He could do this. 

“Sure.” He said, smiling nervously under the look Sir Devin gave him. “Sorry about throwing you into Sir Byron, by the way. He seems pretty, uh, sturdy.”

“Enough.”

“What are you going to do if I don’t stop, hang me?”

Warren expertly stifled his chuckle in a cough. 

Owen was still relying on Gavin to get him out of this. But maybe he didn’t have to let Gavin shoulder the entire burden. Maybe there was something he could do as well. 

Gavin, he thought belatedly, had never sat back and just expected Owen to save him from anything. He’d always fought alongside Owen to protect himself. Maybe here Owen could do the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very boring on [my Tumblr](https://underhandedpenguin.tumblr.com), but you I am posting the chapters there if anyone is interested. :)


	19. Patience is a Virtue, but Sometimes Forcing the Issue Works too

“So I have this plan all done the fuck up and I’m just about to leap on it, right, and then doesn’t Gavin decide I’m taking too long and just puts a damn arrow through its eye.” 

Robbie, a large freerider with one eye, chuckled, and Owen got a snort out of Evan, the pinch-faced squire to Sir Graham, who was guarding him today. He had most of them listening to him on a consistent basis now, and the squires—even Warren—seemed to have forgiven him for what had happened in Merket, or at least they weren’t actively talking about wanting him dead anymore. “That’s the world for you.” Robbie declared. “You don’t move fast enough, someone will steal your kill.” 

“Tell me about it.” Owen sighed. “That’s not the only time it happened. There was this banshee in a little city called Yellow Town, and Gavin just…” Owen broke off suddenly, hearing thunder rolling faintly. He tried to hide that his breath caught, but couldn’t quite make himself not grip the cage until the knuckles on his hand started to turn white. The sky was hanging a lot lower than it had been earlier. 

“Owen?” Evan poked him with the stick he had in his hand. “What could possibly be in there that’s distracting you?” 

“Just your bad breath.” Owen said, but it was an automatic retort, and it didn’t even make sense. There was no more thunder immediately, but that didn’t matter. Owen knew it was coming now, and he couldn’t help the quiet dread that started to build inside him. 

“That doesn’t even make sense.” Evan told him, poking Owen again. “We only let you talk because you’re entertaining, you know.”

“I can’t help it if I’m the only one with good stories here.” 

“Dance, monkey.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Owen managed a weak smile. Fortunately, being trapped here in this stupid cage with nothing to do but tell stories had really helped him get better at that. “So this stupid banshee is on top of a belltower when we find it, so Gavin’s all, ‘Owen, go climb up all the goddamn stairs and I’ll wait down here until you’re done,’ and then…”

The afternoon wore on, and the occasional, distant peals of thunder were just enough to remind Owen that he wasn’t safe. They were getting closer as they travelled and Owen was resigned to the fact that he wasn’t going to get any sleep tonight. Not to mention if it got much worse, everyone was going to make fun of him all day tomorrow. 

But there was nothing he could do about it except be miserable, and when they stopped he ate his supper quietly. The freeriders gave him a little bowl of stew from their own supper and Owen thanked them gratefully, and ate it even though he had no appetite. 

“You okay?” Carter asked him as he took the empty bowl away. “You look pale.”

Owen shrugged as best he could in the confines of the cage. “I’m not feeling too hot. Being caged sucks.” 

“Yeah, I was in one once, for a few days. Not the best feeling.”

Owen hadn’t known that. “I have a new appreciation for circus animals. What did you do?” 

“Ah, they said I killed some lord’s daughter. Kept me locked up until they found who really did it.”

“At least they let you out.”

“You’ll get out too, kid.” Carter said with a reassuring smile. “You’re not so bad as the princess says.”

Owen just shrugged and tried to smile back. “Maybe I’m just a good liar.” He looked up again as the first raindrops started to hit the camp. 

The sun must have gone down behind the clouds, because it got dark very fast. The rain picked up steadily until it was a downpour, and all around him the camp was being set up and people ducking into tents. “I promise not to try to escape.” He said to Carter and his brother, who seemed to have drawn guard duty tonight. “You guys should get out of the rain.”

Wearing a heavy raincloak, Carter was carrying a package under one arm and untied it in the flickering torchlight. “Here, help me with this.” He said to his brother, and the two of them unfolded what looked like a tent canvas and draped it over Owen’s cage.

Owen blinked up at it. He was still soaked, but at least he was out of the rain. “Thank you.” He said, genuinely grateful. “Really, you didn’t need to do that.”

“Hey, we’re getting paid to stand out in the rain all night. You’re not.” 

Owen laughed. “Honestly, thank you.”

“Try to get some sleep, Owen.”

Owen didn’t think that would happen, but Carter let the canvas drop to cover the rest of the cage and he was left there in the pitch dark, with just the sound of the rain slamming into the canvas. 

And the thunder. It came back first as a heavy roll that resounded through the sky and seemed to shake Owen’s bones. He squeezed his eyes shut and hugged his knees close to his chest, trying to pretend he was somewhere else. 

The rolls got louder. It was clear that whatever storm had been in the distance before was passing over them now. “It’s just a sound.” Owen told himself, gripping his elbows and trying to breathe normally. “It’s just a sound. It’s just a sound, Owen. Stop being such a fucking…shit!” The next peal was a crash that seemed to come from all around him. 

“Stop.” Owen whimpered, rocking back and forth a little bit, trying, trying not to hear. It was wasn’t working. It wasn’t just a sound, it was huge and it made him feel small and helpless. “Stop, stop, stop.” 

He didn’t know how long he sat there, willing the world to go away and crying because it wouldn’t. But at some point he felt a cold wind on his face and rain was blowing in. “Fuck.” Someone whispered, but it was drowned out by the rain and the thunder, and the thunder. 

He could vaguely make out the sound of people arguing and after a moment the door to the cage creaked open. “No.” Owen pulled away, back into the corner. They couldn’t make him go out there, not in the storm. He wouldn’t, he wouldn’t. 

“Owen.” There were hands on his arms and they were pulling him forward. “Owen. Owen! It’s me, it’s Gavin. I’m here.” 

“G…Gavin?” Owen raised his head from between his legs and looked up. It was dark, too dark to see anything. Until a flash of lightning briefly light of Gavin’s face, looking stricken. Owen cringed as the thunder followed it, wailing as he careened forward into Gavin. “I’m scared.” He cried. “Gavin, I’m sorry, I’m so scared.” He felt so useless, so small and weak. Just like before, just like when they’d taken Gavin away. He was so small.

“I know, I know.” Gavin said, wrapping arms around Owen and cradling him, rocking back and forth, his chin resting on Owen’s head. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here, Owen. But I am now. I’m here now; you’re safe, I promise.”

Another peal of thunder punctuated that and Owen cried out even as Gavin held him tighter. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize, Owen. It’s okay to be scared. You’re going to be okay, I promise, I’m here, I love you.” 

Owen nodded, trying to cling to that even as the thunder kept coming, kept reminding him how small he was. 

He didn’t know if he actually slept or not; Gavin held him, reassuring him, all night. All Owen knew was that at some point the thunder stopped and by the time he realized it was over, he felt warm and normal and _safe_ again. Blinking his eyes clear, Owen looked up at Gavin, who was still whispering to him, his eyes closed. “Gavin…”

Gavin’s eyes opened, though Owen imagined more than saw it in the near-dark, and he smiled. “Hi. You okay?”

“I’m…” Owen nodded. “Yeah, I’m okay. Thank you. You didn’t need to…”

“Yes, I did, Owen.”

“I love you.” Owen said, because that was all he felt at the moment. “You’re going to get in trouble.”

“I don’t care. Gabrielle’s lucky I didn’t kill anyone.” 

“She’s just trying to protect you, Gavin.” From Owen.

“I have you to protect me.” Gavin said, with a sigh. “Are you really okay, Owen? Not just because of last night.”

“Yes, Gavin.” Owen promised, trying to sit up. The cage was definitely not big enough for both of them. “I’m really okay, I promise.” 

“Okay.” Hesitant, Gavin leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Okay, let’s go.”

“I can’t…”

“You’re not staying in here anymore. I don’t care what Gabrielle says; I’ve put up with this long enough and at the very least you’re going to ride a horse and sleep in a tent like a person or so help me I will use my little brother trump card on her, I am not above throwing a temper tantrum for you, Owen.” 

“Gavin, I…” Owen started to laugh, partly at the speech but also at the pouty tone of Gavin’s voice. “I love you so much.” 

“Come on.” Gavin shifted around a bit, and finally found the door, which was unlocked. He pushed it open and lifted the canvas, revealing the dawn light and letting the fresh air into the cage. He crawled out, his knees sinking into the mud, and reached back to pull Owen behind him. 

Owen blinked in the light but followed Gavin out of the cage, standing with an audible sigh. He’d been cramped for a long time; it was nice to stand up, even if he was shaking with it. Gavin smiled at him, and his eyes were rimmed with dark. “You didn’t sleep at all, did you?”

“No, but I don’t think you did either.” Gavin said, reaching out and brushing Owen’s cheek. “I had to stay awake to make sure you were safe.”

Owen coloured, looked at their feet. “It’s just a sound. I was perfectly safe.”

“But you didn’t feel that way.” Gavin said softly. “Next time it happens I want you to know that I’m there, and I’m watching out for you so nothing will happen, okay?” 

Owen felt warm again, and he smiled. “Okay. Thank you, Gavin.”

“Gavin.” The two of them looked up as one. Gabrielle was standing not far off, staring Gavin down. “What are you doing?”

“Good morning, Gabrielle.”

“I can’t decide if I’m angrier that you did this or that nobody told me until just now.” She said, voice low. Gavin squeezed Owen’s hand and Owen resisted the urge to back away. 

“When we came across the Amaran Mountains to get to Merket,” Gavin said, looking away from Gabrielle, “we had to go through this pass that was filled with huge spiders.” There were other people around as well, Carter and a few of the freeriders, and some of Gabrielle’s knights, all hanging back and waiting, for orders or to see what was going to happen. Owen saw Deatra and Dennis in the back of the group as well. “I didn’t realize they were there until it was too late, but going that way was my idea, and…I didn’t want Owen to think I couldn’t do it, so I lied and said it was okay.” 

“Gavin…” Owen said quietly, but Gavin shushed him. 

“And it was okay.” Gavin continued. “It was awful, and I was sure I was going to die. But it was okay, because Owen was there, and he held my hand and helped me get through it. And I’m not…” Gavin was crying, and that made Owen want to cry too. “And he needed me to be there, so I came. And I don’t care if you lock both of us up and put the whole order of knights between us, Gabrielle, because when Owen needs me I’m going to be there for him. I know you’re mad at us, Gabi, I know that we screwed up, and I’m sorry. But I need you to understand that you can’t do this to us anymore. You can’t…”

“Stop crying, Gavin.” Gabrielle said, and her face was torn with obvious pain. “Just stop.”

“No! I’m not going to stop. I love you, but I love Owen too and you can’t tell me that I’m not allowed to feel the way I do.” Gavin sniffed, and Owen wanted to pat him on the back or hug him or _something_ , but Gavin was still holding his hand and he couldn’t move the other one too far with them manacled together. 

“God, Gavin.” Gabrielle crossed the distance between them and pulled her brother into a hug, eyes squeezed shut. “Don’t cry, it kills me when you cry, you big baby.”

“I’m sorry.” Gavin shook his head. “But I can’t…”

“Can you…God, will you let me talk to Owen for a minute, Gavin?”

“Just let him go, please.”

“Let me talk to him first.” Gabrielle said, turning and pointing Gavin away. “I promise I’m not going to do anything, just give me a minute, okay?”

For a minute Gavin didn’t answer, but then he nodded. “Okay. Just a minute.” He said, and he stumbled off, wiping at his eyes.

Owen watched him go, but Gabrielle stood in front of him, commanding his attention. Once Gavin was out of earshot, she said, “He really loves you.” And that admission sounded like it hurt. 

“Yeah.” Owen said, unsure what to say. His eyes were wet too, and he could see that Gabrielle was the same way. 

“I hate you for that.”

“I know.” Owen nodded. 

“I liked you, I really did, when we met before.” Gabrielle said with a shake of her head. “And I knew you were hiding something but I didn’t figure it was important until it was too late.” 

“I should have told you.” Owen whispered, his voice was hoarse. 

“Why didn’t you?”

“I was afraid you’d take him away.” Owen admitted, needing to look away again. “And I wouldn’t be able to see him again. I’m sorry. I know you don’t want to hear it but I’m sorry.”

“Fuck.” Gabrielle said, rubbing at her eyes. “I told you. I told you I became a knight specifically to protect him. And still, you…you really love him too, don’t you?” 

Owen sniffed, nodding. “I really, really do.” 

“You must, to have been that selfish you must.” Gabrielle sighed, visibly composed herself. “I can’t forgive you for that, Owen.”

“I know. I wouldn’t either.”

“Stop being reasonable, I’m trying to hate you here.” Gabrielle shook her head, turned away from him. “I’m dropping my charge of rape against Owen.” She said, in a loud enough voice for people to hear. “Somebody give him back his horse.” 

Owen had just barely processed that and taken what felt like his first breath of clean air in days when Gavin collided with him, hugging him so fiercely that Owen feared a broken rib. “Thank you.” He said. “Thank you, Gabrielle.” 

“Don’t get carried away.” Gabrielle said, crossing her arms and looking on in disapproval. “He’s still charged with kidnapping, he’ll still be manacled and under guard.” 

“Gabrielle…”

“Don’t. I’ll let you see him but not unsupervised and you’re not sleeping anywhere near him.”

“Gabi, please…”

“Gavin.” Owen said, glancing at Gabrielle over Gavin’s head before looking down. “It’s okay. It’s a hell of a lot better than it was yesterday.”

“But…”

“You got me out of it, like you said you would.” Owen said, smiling. “And I get to see you again. So I’m happy. I missed you.”

“I missed you, too.” Gavin reached up and kissed Owen, pulling back with a laugh. “You smell terrible.”

“They forgot to put a bathtub in the cage.” He couldn’t stop smiling. 

“I’ll have to speak with someone about that. We should offer better accommodations.” Gavin laughed again and wiped the last of the tears from his eyes. 

“You didn’t need the trump card after all.”

“I forgot that Gabrielle’s weakness is me crying.”

Owen kissed Gavin on the forehead. “Mine too. Please don’t cry ever again, okay?”

“I’ll try. I, uh, I didn’t mean to do all that. It just sort of came out. I just love you a lot, and…I missed you.” 

It was rare to see Gavin so obviously out of sorts and inarticulate. “Me too, Gavin.” 

“Okay.” Gabrielle called, clapping her hands. “That’s enough. Let’s eat and get moving. We have better things to do than stand around all bloody day. Let’s go.” 

People started to go, but Gavin lingered with Owen for just a few minutes longer, just holding him safely in place.


	20. There's a Time and Place for Decorum, but Sometimes it Should be Cast Aside

The bank of the river was shallow and rocky, just enough that they could get their feet wet without having to wade into the actual flow of the water. It wasn’t where Owen would have chosen to practice swordplay, but he supposed it was serviceable. 

Serviceable, that was, for getting some squires wet. The four of them had somehow managed to get permission for Owen to have a practice sword and convinced Gabrielle and the other knights that they were responsible enough to supervise him. Which is how, once today’s dinner had been finished, Owen had found himself dragged to the river to get himself beat up. 

Or so they had thought, but three of them were soaking wet from having been knocked down and Owen was facing off against Ashton, Gabrielle’s perpetually determined-looking squire. Owen himself was still dry except for his boots. 

They were standing a few feet apart, swords raised. Owen had attacked all of the other three first and beaten them easily, and now he stood perfectly still and waited for Ashton to come at him. “Whenever you’re ready.” He smiled. 

Ashton scowled and leapt forward, and Owen brought his blade up to block the blow, forced to use both hands since they were still manacled together. What he didn’t think any of them had realized was that it wasn’t entirely the disadvantage he’d worried it would be, since it gave him more strength to brace himself against the blows. 

Owen blocked three strikes without moving, and then stepped back as far as the chains on his feet would allow just in time to throw Ashton off-balance, force him to follow. He could hear the jeers of the other boys, and he honestly wasn’t sure which of the two of them they wanted to see soaked in the river. They were clearly all friends, but they seemed to thrive on competing with one another and Owen had a feeling that if Ashton won where they’d all failed, they’d be equally annoyed that he’d beaten them as pleased that one of their group had won. 

“You’ve got him on the run, Ash!” Evan called when Owen took another step back and made Ashton follow him again. “You’ve got this!”

Owen waited, blocked strikes, kept stepping back until Ashton started to believe what they were telling him, a small smile appearing on his face. Owen smirked at him, and made to take another step back. Ashton made to follow him and Owen stepped sideways instead, brought his sword around in an arc and struck Ashton’s hand. He didn’t drop his weapon but he did flinch back, and Owen lunged, two shallow steps forward, forcing him to overbalance and topple backwards. 

“Dammit!” Ashton punched the water as his friends cursed. “You suck.”

“Really?” Owen asked, smiling down at him. “Because you’re the one taking a bath.” 

“I don’t get it—we trained for this for years, went to school and learned from anointed knights. You’ve been holding a sword for two minutes according to what they say. Why the hell are you so good?”

“Simple.” Owen said, planting his dulled blade in the silt and offering Ashton his hand to stand. “There’s a difference between learning how to use a sword and actually using one.” 

“Oh, do fucking tell.” Ashton had a lilt of nobility in his voice, despite his dirty mouth. He took Owen’s hand and stood, brushing himself off. 

“Usually when I use my sword it’s because someone’s trying to kill me.” Owen told him, and all of them. “Or kill Gavin, which would be worse. Nobody’s ever actually tried to seriously hurt any of you. You know how to use a sword, the proper form and all that. You’re better than me in that way. But I know how to not die, and proper form can suck it when I’m trying to survive.” 

They were all looking at him like he was crazy, and Owen shrugged. “You know how to handle a sword. I know how to fight. It’s not quite the same thing. But once you learn how to fight too, you’ve got all that form and training that I don’t. You’ll beat me then.” By then Owen would hopefully have enough experience not to suffer that defeat, but then again, by then maybe Owen would still be in prison for kidnapping Gavin. 

“Owen, are you being mean to the squires?” 

Owen looked up, a smile coming to his face at Gavin’s voice. “No.” He called, as Gavin stepped into the river to join them. The other four were saluting. “Just helping them get clean. They asked for my help.” Owen was pretty sure Gavin’s presence was what stopped him from getting any rude retorts. “Should I salute you too?” He asked, when Gavin had drawn close enough to put a hand on Owen’s arm. 

Gavin smiled, shook his head. “How could you four possibly be having trouble? God, it’s just Owen. He’s easy to knock down, watch.” 

“What are you doing?” Owen asked quietly, but Gavin just shushed him and leaned in for a kiss, putting both hands on Owen’s head. Owen was only a little embarrassed at the moan he made when it started, blaming the fact that he’d barely even seen Gavin in ages for it. Besides, Gavin made a noise too. 

After far too short a time, Gavin pulled back, put both hands on Owen’s chest, and gave a sharp shove. Owen didn’t even realize what had happened until he felt a flash of cold and realized he was in the water. He flailed for just a minute before managing to sit, coughing. Gavin was standing there laughing at him, and even if it was a very pleasant sight, Owen glared at him. “What the fuck was that for?” 

“I felt the need to assert my dominance.” 

Owen narrowed his eyes, judged the distance between him and Gavin, and struck out with his legs, trapping one of Gavin’s ankles in the chain and toppling him into the river as well. The look on Gavin’s face was halfway between outrage and surprise, and Owen just smiled at him. “Not that dominant.”

“Fuck you.” Gavin said, but he was holding back laughter. “You cheated.”

“And you didn’t?”

“Exploiting weaknesses is a perfectly valid battle strategy.” Gavin said. “You think with your cock. It’s a weakness.” 

“And you like to gloat. Which is also a weakness.”

“Actually, I just like seeing you on the ground in front of me too much.” Gavin got up, offered Owen his hand, and kissed him again as he stood. “You know, I came to offer to sneak you away for secret blowjobs in the woods.” He said quietly. “But I’m rethinking that now.”

Shit. Owen coloured and tried not to look at the squires. The river was loud enough for them not to have heard, he thought. “I don’t see why. Seems like a good idea to me.” Even if Gabrielle would behead him if she found out. 

“Yeah, but now I’m wet and grumpy.” 

“I can think of a few good ways to cheer you up…” 

There was a very clear sound of someone clearing his throat not far from them, and Owen looked up to see Sir Devin standing at the riverbank. “They worry more about where you are than where I am.” Owen muttered.

“This is what I get for fucking around.” Gavin sighed quietly. “If I’d just come up to you and said ‘hey, Owen, come over here and let me blow you,’ we’d have been away by now.” 

“Yeah.” Owen agreed, voice a little strained. “You should be more direct in telling me what you want, really.” 

“Your Highness.” Sir Devin said, patiently. “Her Highness Sir Gabrielle has requested that you return to the camp.” 

“It’s been a minute and a half, Sir Devin.” Gavin said, shaking his head and turning around. “What does she think I could possibly have done in that time?” 

“She ordered me to carry you if need be, sire.” 

Even from behind, Owen could tell that Gavin was rolling his eyes. “Alright, fine. If you’ll all excuse me. I’m apparently late for another appointment to have my life choices disapproved of.” 

“I thought it was me that she disapproved of.” Owen muttered.

“It is.” Gavin turned around and gave Owen a kiss on the cheek before moving to depart. “You’re my life choice.” 

While Owen tried not to splutter at that, Gavin made his way out the river. “Lead on, Sir Babysitter.” He grumbled. 

“Yes, sire.”

“Oh.” Gavin turned and smiled at the four squires, who were all trying valiantly to pretend that they couldn’t see or hear anything that was happening. “The reason why he keeps beating all of you is because you’re letting him set the pace of the fight. Honestly, he can barely move his feet; don’t let him decide how fast you’re going to move.” 

“Hey!” Owen called, though he wasn’t really mad. “Stop giving advice to my opponents.” Even if Owen himself would have told them that same thing soon. 

“I think it’s my duty to make sure that the knights of the kingdom are sufficiently trained. How else can they protect us from scary outlaws like yourself?” The chagrinned expressions that got Gavin told Owen that the jibe had struck home. “Go easy on them, Owen.” 

“Then how will they learn anything?” Owen asked, more smugly than he felt. Knowing how competitive the four of them were, this would drive them to get better quickly. Which of course Gavin had picked up on. “Besides, they’ve still got all their teeth, don’t they?” 

“Alright.” Sir Devin sighed. “Let’s go, sire. And you four—try not to embarrass yourselves too badly. I’ll be back shortly to…supervise this.”

And he led Gavin off, leaving the five of them in the river. Owen scowled. “Well. That last part wasn’t supposed to happen.” His sword had ended up in the river at some point and Owen cast around for it. “Anyone else think this is going to end with him beating me up?”

None of them answered, and Owen found his practice weapon and retrieved it, glancing at them. They were all looking at him. “What?” 

“You…” Warren looked at the others as if for support. “The way you talk to his highness.” 

“What about it?” 

“You’re a commoner.” Ashton said, a little indignant. “And even if you weren’t, you can’t talk to a prince that way! You…”

“I can’t talk to him like he’s a person? Or, taking your cue, I can’t talk to him at all?” 

“Well…”

Owen decided it would be bad form to point out that he and Gavin had been having sex for eight months. “He’d like you guys if you had the balls to say two words to him. And you’d probably like him too.” 

“That’s not the point!” 

Owen sighed. “I tried to talk formally to him when we first met.” He had, for all of two hours the morning after he’d killed the dragon. “He sat on my chest and refused to move until I started calling him names.” Gavin’s exact words had been that he’d never suck Owen’s cock again if Owen was going to be too afraid to call him a cocksucker, but probably that didn’t bear repeating. 

“Well…” Ashton seemed at a bit of a loss and he looked at the others for help, and they just shrugged at him. 

“You’re noble born.” Owen pointed out. “But I bet you let them talk to you like real people.” 

“Well, yeah. But they’re my friends, and we’re equals in the order.” 

Owen shrugged. “And I’m an insolent country hick who doesn’t know anything about manners. Besides, we are kind of…you know. So I think that gets me some leeway, don’t you?” 

“Not…really.” But he sounded uncertain, and Owen read defeat in his stance. 

Owen just smiled and shook his head at them. “Sir Devin is coming back soon to babysit us.” He held up his sword, moved into a fighting stance. “Who wants their rematch against the chained-up outlaw before he gets here?”


	21. Losing Something that You're Used to Is a Hard Thing to Cope With

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm struggling between the narrative fact that they're still mostly separated and my personal will to see them just interact normally again, haha. Never let it be said that writing isn't hard.

“How are you feeling?” 

Owen looked up at Aria and smiled, taking a drink from his water skin. “I feel like a circus act. ‘Come hit the chained guy with a stick, only a copper.’” 

Aria laughed, sat next to him on the little hill he was resting on. After the display at the river, someone had decided that he was a good training partner for the squires. Owen wasn’t sure if it was meant to be a punishment for him or a punishment for them. Fortunately for him, after Sir Devin had trounced him the first time, the actual knights had decided it was beneath them to pound on a prisoner and had abstained. He’d had horrible thoughts about Gabrielle deciding to practice against him and not using a practice sword. 

“They’re getting better, though.”

“They are.” Owen agreed. Sir Byron had set the boys on running drills for now, so Owen got a break. “And quickly, which isn’t surprising. They know what they’re doing, they just needed practice.” Against a real opponent, not one in a training yard. Some of the freeriders had joined in on their practices the last day or two, which had been helpful for the squires—and the knights—and less so for Owen, who’d gotten beat up by them too. A lot of them, though, he thought he could beat if he could move properly. 

“They seem to hate you less, too. Which I’m sure is a nice bonus and not at all your main motivation.”

“Not at all.” Owen said, taking another drink. He was tired and hot and sweaty. At least it wasn’t summer yet, he told himself. That would have been awful. “How are you doing?”

“Gabrielle will talk to me on occasion now, though rarely unprompted and never when Gavin is around. I think Dennis and Deatra are hoping they can get hired to join the freeriders here. Cleo’s mad at me.”

“What’d you do?” Owen asked, thinking that if she didn’t want him to pry she wouldn’t have brought it up. He offered her the waterskin.

“I started sleeping with Sir Graham.” Aria took the skin and drank before handing it back. 

Owen looked at her, trying not to be amused. Graham was shorter than Gavin and had spindly arms. It was a mystery how he was a knight. “Really? Aren’t you and Cleo together?” He had just sort of assumed they were.

“No. She just doesn’t like it when I’m together with other people. She claims that I am annoying when it eventually ends.” Aria was holding back a little smile. 

“So she’s mad now for something that’s going to happen later.” Owen tried to picture Aria being annoying about anything and found he couldn’t. 

“Yes.”

“Alright then.” Owen said, laughing a little. He wondered if Evan knew about this. 

“I could break those chains for you, you know.” Aria said suddenly. “I have a feeling Gabrielle wouldn’t put them back on.”

“She’s still pretty mad.” 

“Still. You left the cage and she didn’t put you back in.”

Owen smiled, shook his head. “I’m trying to do this the right way.” 

“Do what?”

“Make Gavin’s family like me. Besides, if I wasn’t chained up, none of those kids would have any chance against me.” 

“They’re your age.”

“And yet.” Owen grinned. 

Aria laughed. “Maybe you can get a job assisting the master at arms in the castle, or in the fortress.” She suggested. “Once they free you.” 

Owen shrugged. “That sounds kind of boring. Though I guess it would let me be close to Gavin.” 

“Speaking of whom.” Aria nodded over to Owen’s left, and Owen looked to see Gavin approaching them stealthily. He smiled. “I have some suggestions for Sir Byron.” She said, standing. “May take a while. If you’ll excuse me.”

“Thanks, Aria.” Owen said, and she left. Gavin slunk to Owen’s side a moment later, sitting right beside him. 

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

“I miss you.” 

“I miss you too.” Owen said. 

“I miss talking to you and seeing you, and being allowed to be alone with you and everything about you.” Gavin said, in a bit of a sulk. “I also miss having you in my bed.” 

Owen went red. “Me too.” He admitted. Not that it was a huge admission. 

“I heard you’re sharing a tent with Dennis.” Gavin sighed. 

“Yeah.” It was better than the cage, Owen told himself every night. 

“So you’re probably not touching yourself a whole lot.”

“Nope.” This conversation was enough to make Owen hard. And Owen knew Gavin well enough to know that Gavin knew that. “He offered to ‘give me some privacy’ if I ever needed it.” Owen had been mortified at the suggestion at the time, but had been taking it more seriously lately. “But I haven’t, yet.”

“I touch myself every night.” Gavin said, resting his head on Owen’s shoulder. “Thinking about you and wishing it was you doing it.” 

“God, Gavin.” Owen winced as the tightness in his pants became almost painful. “I think about you at night too.”

“You have more self-control than I thought.” Gavin moved, straddling Owen and holding his head in both hands. “More than I do.” He muttered, leaning down and kissing Owen on the mouth. 

“Just trying…not to get charged with anything else.” Owen grunted as Gavin gently ground their hips together. 

Gavin pushed Owen back until he was lying down, and positioned himself on top of Owen. “You’re all sweaty.” 

“They’re running me ragged over here.” 

“I like you when you’re all sweaty.” Gavin muttered, kissing down Owen’s neck. 

“We probably shouldn’t do this.”

“Yeah.” Gavin didn’t stop, though. “I was going to get you to be on top, when we were in Merket.”

“Wh…what?” 

“I thought it would be a nice reward for killing the wizard. You were on top the first time, after you saved me from the dragon. So I figured every time you kill something important I could let you do it again.”

“You know.” Owen shuddered as Gavin fiddled with the collar of his shirt, sucking marks into his collarbone. “I understand why Gabrielle did what she did, so I wasn’t mad. But I kind of am now.” He was trying to reach Gavin’s pants without meaning to, and was getting there even though Gavin had his hands mostly pinned. 

“Yeah. I thought you might be. I fantasize a lot about you sneaking into my tent at night, but I know that’s impossible. Maybe I’ll try to sneak in to yours. I’m getting a little desperate, Owen.”

“You’re making me a little desperate too.” Owen panted. Not that he hadn’t been getting there just fine on his own. 

“That’s the idea. It kind of annoys me that you aren’t already.” This was punctuated with a bite to Owen’s ear. “I shouldn’t be the only one suffering.” 

The very audible and clear sound of a throat clearing made Owen tense. Gavin stopped what he was doing—his hands had been wandering southward as well and Owen was most definitely suffering now—and sighed. “We’re kind of busy.”

“I can see that.” Gabrielle said. “Get up.” 

Gavin sighed again, closing his eyes. He gave Owen one last kiss. “I miss you.” He said again, before standing in clear discomfort. 

“I miss you too.” Owen didn’t get up, a little too out of it to move. 

“Eventually.” Gavin said, turning a glare on his sister. “You are going not going to be able to chaperone me every minute of the day.”

“My hope is that eventually you won’t _need_ a chaperone every minute of the day.” She shot back, shaking her head. “I swear to God, it’s not a hard concept.” 

“No, it’s not. I’m just frustrated.”

“I’ve explained to you the reasons why—”

“Not that kind of frustrated, Gabrielle.” Gavin interrupted. “You do need to accept that I’m not a little boy anymore.”

“So I’ve noticed.” Gabrielle said flatly. “Now back to the camp.” 

Gavin sighed, shaking his head. He looked back at Owen. “See you later.”

“See you.”

“You, don’t talk.” Gabrielle said to him, looking as if she were considering just stepping on his head and squishing it. 

“Hey, I was the one pinned to the ground. I’m innocent.” 

Gavin snorted, and Gabrielle said, “I have a very hard time believing that. If you have this much free time, the knights obviously aren’t working you hard enough.” And she turned and led Gavin away. Gavin waved at Owen over his shoulder, and Owen waved back. 

“I think I’m winning her over.” Owen said to nobody in particular, looking up at the clear sky. He was going to have to take Dennis up on that offer tonight.


	22. There's Nothing Like a Minor Emergency to Give You That Final Push You Need

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought that after twenty-two chapters, it might finally be time for a dragon to show up in this story.

It wasn’t just because it was fun that Owen looked forward to when they stopped and he got dragged for training sessions with the squires. It was also that he hated riding. 

Because of the manacles on his feet, he had no choice but to ride sidesaddle, which was really uncomfortable. At least he was being allowed to ride his horse again, he told himself, for the fiftieth time, as he shifted and tried to find a comfortable way to sit. Saddles really weren’t meant to be used this way. At least he wasn’t in the cage anymore. 

“Are you that eager to get your ass whipped again, lad?” Dennis asked, riding up beside him. “You’re about to leap out of the saddle.” 

“I’m developing a new appreciation for getting beat up.” Owen admitted. “Though I still beat them more than I lose.”

“Not a good sign if those are the knights of tomorrow, then.”

“They’re getting better.”

“When I was their age, I could take five men twice my size. I don’t know what kind of chaff they’re letting into the school these days, but they’ve relaxed their standards quite a lot, let me tell you…”

Dennis started to tell him, and Owen listened because it was distracting. They were travelling along the mountains and were going to cross them where there was a pass a few days to the south, rather than where he and Gavin had crossed before. Gabrielle had promised that the usual pass was spider-free, or so Owen had heard. 

Because of that, the terribly boring countryside scenery had been replaced by terribly boring mountainside scenery, with cliffs and outcroppings rising above their heads. They were right at the base of the mountains. The cliffs were not particularly interesting to look at, even if they were different. 

The cliffs weren’t interesting to look at, until they were. “Oh.” Owen said, frowning up at them. There was scarring all along the cliff faces and higher, and when Owen looked closer he saw burn markings as well. “We have to get off this road.”

“What? Owen, what are you on about?”

“Look at all those markings, there’s a dragon here.” Owen turned as best he could and grabbed his reins, flicking them and giving the horse a bit of a smack to spur him. He needed to get up closer to the front of the column. 

“What, Owen!” Dennis and a few of the freeriders broke into a trot to keep up with him, and Owen rushed forward, past the baggage train and towards the main group. 

Sir Graham intercepted Owen before he could reach them, Evan at his heels. “Now, now.” He said, a voice deeper than he should have been capable of. “You’ve been behaving nicely, son. Don’t start making a fuss now.”

“No, that’s not…” Owen sighed. “Listen. There’s a dragon nearby. Can you please go tell Gabrielle that we need to get off this road?” 

“Based on your say-so?” Graham asked him, shaking his head. “No, I don’t think so. Show me some proof, and we’ll…”

“What’s going on?” 

“Aria.” Owen turned away from Sir Graham and pointed at the cliffs for her to see. Cleo was with her, and she looked at Graham with just a hint of distaste. “Look.”

Aria did. “What am I looking at?”

“Look at those ruts in the stone, and those scorch marks. You’re going to find animal bones somewhere too. We’re passing through dragon territory.” 

Aria considered the cliff face for a moment, glancing at Cleo before turning back to Owen. “You’re the expert. Graham, we need to convince her Highness to move away from the mountains for a time.”

“We took this road on the way north.” Sir Graham protested. “It was perfectly safe.”

“Dragons mate in the spring and summer.” Owen told him. Killing them may be rare, but Owen wasn’t the only person to have ever encountered one, and once people heard about his dragon-related exploits, they’d usually wanted to share their own. He’d picked up a few things in Merket. “Males build nests and mark territory to try and convince females they’re worth it. We’re lucky in that we’re probably in a male’s territory, because they’re smaller. But it will attack us if it knows we’re here and ‘smaller’ is a relative term with dragons.” 

Graham just stared at him for a moment, and Evan did too. “You can think what you like about Owen.” Cleo said as they did. “But he is the only one among us to have said hello to a dragon. I’d say he bears listening to in this.”

“Yes, he also stopped us from being tossed off a mountain before.” Aria said, nodding. “Owen’s got a good sense for danger. It’s wise to do as he says…” She paused, looked up. A long shadow fell over all of them and passed. “Or perhaps it’s too late.”

“Fuck.” Owen muttered, watching it. Easily the size of a few houses, it was a sky blue but for the streak of black on its flat face. Most of the column had moved ahead of them again as they’d been talking, but he could see it from here, perched on a cliffside, hissing down at the front. Gavin was up there. “Shit.” 

Owen urged his horse to a gallop with some difficulty. Even from here it knew it didn’t want to go where the dragon was, and about halfway there it reared and Owen, sitting sidesaddle, fell and landed on the ground with a curse. 

“Here.” Aria said, as he started to get up. She was pulling her axe free from her saddle and Owen nodded, holding his arms out to one side and watching out from the corner of his eye. He’d wanted to get out of these properly, but now there was a dragon. 

The chain shattered under Aria’s axe, and Owen held very still so she could break the one at his legs too. “What the hell are you doing?” Sir Graham demanded. 

“You don’t want help from the one person experienced in killing those things?” Aria asked, and swung the axe without waiting for an answer. The blade fell in between Owen’s legs, far from anything that should be worrying but Owen felt some parts of him recede inward just in case. And then Cleo offered him a hand and Owen stood, stretching out his arms as he did. 

He smiled at Sir Graham. “You’re welcome to try and stop me.” He said, moving. “But if all get eaten you’ll never know if it was your fault or not.” 

By that time he’d moved around Graham and was within arm’s reach of Evan. “Sorry.” He said, reaching out and grabbing the hilt of Evan’s sword as his belt, drawing it as he went. “I need this.” 

Neither of them moved to stop him, and indeed fell into step behind Owen as he and Aria led the way to the dragon. The freeriders and Dennis and Deatra were with them as well, Owen noticed. He tried not to move awkwardly as he could use his legs properly for the first time in weeks.

The other knights had made something of a circle around the dragon and were trying to steadily back away from it. “Don’t move too quickly.” Gabrielle called. “We don’t want to give it a reason to chase after us.”

Gavin was behind the circle, and he was the first to notice Owen approaching. He smiled. Owen smiled back at him. Most everyone following Owen slowed as they approached, but he kept going, pushing in between Sir Byron and Ashton. “What the hell are you doing, lad?”

“Quiet.” Owen said, moving between them and out into the front of the circle. “Hey!” He shouted up at the dragon, though it had already been watching him. It was halfway down the cliff, having been slowly advancing on the knights as they retreated. Aria, Cleo, Dennis and Deatra followed Owen into the clearing, but they hung back from him a bit, weapons out, letting him take the lead. 

The dragon growled down at Owen. Owen did his best approximation of the same noise back up at it. “You’re going to get us all killed, you idiot.” Gabrielle hissed at him. 

The dragon advanced, leaping down from the cliffside to land on the road. He was heavy-chested and thick, his wings fanned out around him to make him seem bigger. “Shit, pull back!”

“Don’t.” Owen called. He didn’t move, staring up at the dragon. “Everyone stay right where the fuck you are.” 

“You…”

“Gabrielle.” Gavin’s voice cut in. “Listen to him.” 

There was a pause. “Hold.” Gabrielle finally said. “You’d better know what you’re doing.”

“Dragons are smart.” Owen said, taking a step towards it and feigning a lunge. The dragon didn’t move. “He can see how much smaller we are than he is.” 

The dragon snapped its jaws at Owen, and Owen didn’t move. Smoke was curling out from between the dragon’s teeth. “What the fuck does that have to do with anything, Owen?” 

“Someone give me a shield.” Owen held out his spare hand and a moment later Cleo strapped one on to him. He took another step forward. “If you’re walking down a road and you see a snake, and it just doesn’t get out of your way, aren’t you going to wonder why it’s not afraid of you? The mistake people make with dragons is showing submissiveness. They think it will convince it not to hurt them. What it does instead is convince the dragon you’re not going to fight back.” Owen growled again and took a long step towards the dragon. Out from the corner of his eye, he could see Dennis approaching it as well, and Aria just beside him. Deatra had moved to his other side with Cleo. 

But the dragon’s attention was still on Owen. “And he can count.” Owen said, watching as the smoke got thicker and the smell of sulfur got heavy in the air. “There are more of us than there are of him. He’s got to be thinking that we’d kill him before he could kill us all.” What he was probably thinking was that the rest of them would run if he killed Owen, but Owen decided to keep that to himself for now.

Fire bloomed in the dragon’s mouth and Owen raised his shield as it burst towards him, standing his ground. “Fuck, Owen!” The shield only did so much but it did stop him from being burnt to a crisp at least, even if he could feel his skin cracking on his face and was worried that his arm might catch fire under the shield. 

The fire dissipated and though the shield was red hot and hurt like hell, Owen simply lowered it and took another step forward, bringing him within striking distance of the dragon. 

In a gust of wind, the dragon leapt, taking himself out of Owen’s reach and landing on top of the cliff again. Owen kept eye contact with it. “Now.” He said. “Everyone start moving. Stay on the road, the same way we were going before. We are carrying on our way, _not_ retreating.” If they ran away now, they’d meet a lot more fire. 

Gabrielle gave the order to move and Owen stood there, in a staring contest with the dragon while the rest of their caravan passed by. The horses were skittish and needed a lot of prodding to go anywhere near the dragon, but eventually everyone was past. Owen jerked his head for Aria and the rest to move away as well. “You too.” He said, knowing Gabrielle was still there. She’d forced Gavin to go with the train, but had herself stayed. 

“Owen…”

“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.” Owen didn’t really, but if after all this it still came to a fight, well, he’d killed a dragon before. “Go.”

“Fine. You’d better not die, you idiot.” 

“You sound like Gavin.”

Gabrielle went, and as soon as she’d turned her back the dragon reared, still watching Owen. It hissed at him and puffed a little ball of flame down, before leaping from the cliff, banking as it gained height, and heading deeper into the mountains. 

Only when he was sure it wasn’t going to come back did Owen sigh. He dropped Evan’s sword and undid the shield from his other arm. At least it wasn’t molten anymore, but it had definitely burned his arm and the front of it was all melted. “Fuck, ow.”

He gathered up the shield by its strap and the sword as well, and turned to catch up with the group. Gabrielle was standing a few feet off, watching him. “Fuck, ow?” She asked. “That’s all you have to say?” 

“What do you want me to say?” Owen asked as he approached her. He offered her the sword. “Fire really hurts.” 

Gabrielle considered the blade for a minute before shaking her head. “Give it back to Evan.” She told him. “I’m sure we have salves we can put on that for you.”

“Cleo can probably heal it.” Owen said, though he wasn’t sure. “But I appreciate it.” 

Gabrielle nodded, and started off in the direction of the caravan. Owen walked with her. “How did you know it wouldn’t attack you?”

“I didn’t.” Owen admitted. He tried to shrug, but it hurt. “But the only thing he’s honestly worried about in his territory is another male dragon. We’re not likely to lure a female away from him.”

“At least we hope not.” Gabrielle muttered.

“Yeah, we do. Females are way bigger and a lot more aggressive. A lady dragon would have just killed us. Sorry about your manacles. I hope you have more for me.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Gabrielle sighed. “I only left them on you because I was still mad at you. You’d have made a good knight, Owen.”

“Thanks.” Owen smiled, looking at her for the first time. “I really appreciate that. And I am sorry for lying to you before.”

Gabrielle shrugged, shook her head. “I probably won’t ever not be mad at you for that. But I’m willing to move past it.” 

“You told me that you became a knight so that you could protect Gavin.”

“That’s right.”

“Everything that I’ve become was to protect him too.”

Gabrielle considered that for a moment. “Fine.” She said with a nod. “But don’t think you can just take him from me. I was here first.” 

“I’m willing to share if you are.” 

“Alright.” Gabrielle smiled. “Speak of the devil.” She indicated up ahead of them, where they were slowly catching up to the rest. One rider had broken off from the caravan and was headed towards them. 

Gavin sawed his horse to a halt and leapt from his saddle, stumbling as he did. Owen smiled at him. Once Gavin had right himself he leapt on Owen, crushing him in a hug. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” He demanded. “Who just stands there when a dragon is blowing fire at them?” 

“You’re the one who wanted me to be dauntless.” Owen reminded him, trying to hug back, but Gavin had both his arms pinned. “Besides, I’m fireproof.” 

“You are insane.” 

“I have a bit of a dragon thing.” Owen admitted. 

“The back of my tent won’t be properly secured to the ground tonight.” Gavin said, in a lower voice. Speaking normally, he pulled back a bit and said, “You don’t have to beat a dragon in a staring contest to impress me.”

Owen smiled, freed his arms and wrapped them around Gavin’s back, the pain in his left forgotten. “Maybe, but I wanted to. Did it work?”

Gavin laughed, leaned up and kissed Owen. “I am sufficiently impressed. You may stay for another day.”

“I feel like I should get at least a week since there was a dragon.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“I am standing right here, you two.” Gabrielle reminded them. 

“Right.” Gavin pulled back, turned from Owen to his sister, and he hugged her too. “I am also sufficiently impressed with you today.” 

“Wow, thanks.” 

“Thank you for not tying Owen up again.”

“I just don’t have a spare pair of manacles.” Gabrielle grumbled. “Don’t take it as an invitation to do anything I don’t want to know about.”

“All Gavin and I ever do together is read scripture.” Owen said innocently. “Though I admit we have held hands on one or two occasions.” 

“Don’t push your luck.” Gabrielle said, while Gavin giggled. “I will put chastity belts on both of you.”

“Honestly, I scare off a dragon and this is the gratitude I get.”

“I don’t know what Gavin sees in you. You are insufferable.” 

“It grows on you pretty quickly. Owen is a bit like fungus that way.”

“Hey! You’re supposed to be on my side, traitor.” 

“Don’t worry, you being insufferable is what I like about you.”

“Really?” Owen asked, smiling. “I thought it was my red hair.”

“Owen!” Gavin went red. “Gabrielle doesn’t need to know that!”

Laughing, the three of them walked together to rejoin the rest of the caravan.


	23. Togetherness and Intimacy Don't Have to Mean Sex, but Sex is Pretty Awesome too

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time to make up for all the sex they haven't been having lately with All The Sex.

As Gavin had promised, the back of his tent wasn’t properly secured to the ground and when Owen got there that night, he found that he could lift it just enough to tuck himself inside. 

He was grateful for that, otherwise he’d have been stuck here in his smallclothes, trying to decide what to do. He hadn’t wanted to risk dressing when he’d snuck out of the tent he shared with Dennis, lest the man wake up and want to know why he was putting pants on to go pee in the middle of the night. Everyone was asleep except for the sentries, so it wasn’t like there was anyone about to see him. 

The sentries had been a worry of Owen’s, but they were looking for intruders trying to enter the camp, not people sneaking around within it. Which was fair, but Owen thought they still might have been more observant. Maybe he should have a word with someone about that. 

Or not, because he wasn’t sure how he’d manage it while not touching on the fact that he knew because they’d let him sneak into Gavin’s tent for sex. 

It was a bit of a squeeze to get under the canvas without making too much commotion, but Owen managed it and nobody shouted alarms, so he figured he was good. Gavin’s tent was a lot bigger than any Owen had seen before, and Owen could hear strained panting coming from a little bit in front of him. There was, he realized after a second, a lantern light nearby, almost completely shuttered, enough to provide a tiny bit of light to see by. 

And by that tiny amount of light, he could see Gavin, or at least his form. Gavin, laying on his bedroll, fist wrapped around his erection, fingering himself with two fingers. 

Getting harder than he already had been, Owen snuck a little closer. It didn’t seem like Gavin had noticed him, busy as he was. 

Owen got as close as he dared before changing that. “Am I interrupting something, your Highness?” 

Gavin gasped, stopped moving, his head swinging around to take in Owen. “God.” He breathed. “You scared the hell out of me, Owen.”

“The back of your tent’s not secured properly.” Owen said with a smile that Gavin couldn’t see. “It’s a huge security problem. Who knows what kind of riffraff might sneak in here?” 

“I can handle riffraff.” 

“Really?” Owen asked, getting down on his knees and straddling Gavin, gently pulling both his hands away from himself. And pinning them above his head. “And how do you plan to do that? If some criminal came in and did this, how would you stop him?”

Gavin leaned up and kissed Owen, deeply, savagely. “I’d remind him that I have a very strong lover who would tear him to pieces if he didn’t stop.”

“What if he didn’t care?” Owen asked, kissing Gavin’s neck, moving lower to his collarbone and sucking a little mark there. “After the show you were putting on, maybe it’s worth risking it?” He ground their hips together, and Gavin reciprocated with a grunt. 

“Not if he knows what’s good for him, it’s not.” Gavin breathed.

“Good thing I don’t, then.” Owen muttered, and he kissed Gavin again. 

They got lost in each other, kissing and grinding and just being close to one another. Eventually Owen’s grip loosened and Gavin freed his hands, and they were all over each other, touching and rubbing and holding and reassuring that they were both there. 

Gavin’s hands made their way down to Owen’s waist, fiddling with the back of his smallclothes. He pulled back for a breath. “Why the fuck are you even wearing these?”

“Not all of us were quite as impatient as you.” Though Owen very much had been. “Besides, I thought you’d want something to take off, at least.”

“I do like undressing you.” Gavin admitted. “Get up so we can get them out of the way.”

Owen did, sitting back. Gavin sat as well and reached out to pull them down, leaning in close so his breath was on Owen’s skin. He pulled the smallclothes down quickly and when Owen’s erection sprang free Gavin caught it in his mouth, sucking it down like he was starving.

“Oh, fuck.” Owen panted, fisting his hands into Gavin’s blanket. After all this time sporadically sneaking out to use his hand, he would have given anything for this again. But… “Gavin.” He panted. “Gavin, Gavin hold on.”

“What?” Gavin demanded pulling off Owen with a pop. 

“I want to do you too.” 

“At the same time?”

“Yeah.” 

Owen could tell Gavin was grinning up at him, and he straightened, pulled Owen’s smallclothes the rest of the way off while the two of them repositioned, lying beside each other. Gavin wasted no time taking Owen back into his mouth and Owen took a moment to wet his fingers in his mouth before he did the same, swallowing as much of Gavin as he could in one gulp.

The tent was filled with slurping, the sound skin rubbing against skin, the increasingly desperate noises both of them were making. Owen helped Gavin finish what he’d been doing before and stuck a finger inside, followed immediately by another when it was clear there was room. He wondered how long Gavin had been doing that, waiting for Owen, and the thought of it sent a pulse through him that had him bucking into Gavin’s mouth. Gavin responded in kind, and was soon thrusting in and out of Owen’s mouth, in tune with Owen’s fingers. Owen added a third one abruptly, and Gavin’s everything tensed, and he shot into Owen’s mouth with a muffled cry that Owen nonetheless recognized as his name. That got Owen there too, and he came as he swallowed the first of Gavin’s seed, filling Gavin’s mouth as Gavin filled his.

They pulled off of one another, breathing heavily through their noses. Owen had kept the last two or three spurts in his mouth. Gavin had fed Owen his own cum enough times that Owen wanted to return the favour, and so he sat up, pulling his fingers out of Gavin, and positioned himself for a kiss.

Gavin wrapped his arms around Owen’s neck and pulled him down, and Owen realized as their lips touched that Gavin had had the same idea. Their cum mixed in their mouths, going back and forth between them as they kissed, dribbling out the corners and down their chins. Owen pulled back when he needed to breathe and looked down at Gavin in the dim light. His mouth and chin were a sticky mess and he swallowed, looking up at Owen with a grin. “I love you.”

Owen swallowed his own mouthful and gave Gavin a much gentler kiss. “I love you too.”

“You going to fuck me now?”

Owen laughed a little. Gavin was not very romantic. But then, neither was he. “You don’t want to do me?”

“Later, but you first.” 

“Well, I’m not going to complain.” Owen said, nipping Gavin on the cheek before reaching down. “Do you need…”

“No.” Gavin shook his head. “I’m good.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to hurt you.”

“God, Owen.” Gavin bucked his hips impatiently. “It’s fine. I like it when you hurt me a little bit.”

“Yeah, but…”

“Owen, I’m perfectly capable of telling you if I don’t like what you’re doing. Let’s go, come on. We don’t have all night.” 

The impatience in Gavin’s voice made Owen smile. “Alright.” He’d just been worried since usually Gavin topped, but he trusted Gavin to say if it hurt too much. And so he used his hand to guide himself to Gavin’s entrance, and pushed carefully in. Gavin made a strained noise, but not an unhappy one, and Owen pushed further in, until the tightness was too much for him to do any more. He’d forgotten what this was like, how warm and tight it was inside Gavin. 

Gavin wrapped his arms around Owen and Owen put his hands on Gavin’s shoulders, pulling out and thrusting back in. Gavin cried out again. Owen couldn’t help but think of the guard outside his tent, and leaned in to kiss Gavin to muffle the sound. 

That didn’t really work in the long term as Owen started moving back and forth, and when Owen got all the way in, Gavin let go of Owen with one hand bit his forearm to keep from making a lot of noise. Owen, for his part, was having trouble keeping his own voice down and started nipping and sucking on Gavin’s collarbone to keep it down. 

They had both just cum a few minutes ago but that didn’t stop either of them from getting there pretty quickly. Owen could feel it building up inside him, rising and getting stronger until… “God…” he panted, as it hit him and he started spurting inside Gavin. Owen continued moving in and out through it, slamming into Gavin without really meaning to. 

“Fuck.” Gavin hissed as Owen did, the fingers of his left hand digging grooves into Owen’s back as he came as well, splattering cum on his belly and chest, with one spurt landing on his own chin. “Owen…” 

“Gavin, I…” Owen was still moving, back and forth and in and out, the extra lubrication he’d provided making it easier going, the extra sensitivity he’d gained making it hover on that border between ecstatic and painful.

“Don’t stop.”

“I’m not.” There was nothing Owen wanted to do less than stop what he was doing right now. Anyone could have walked right into the tent and he knew he’d keep going, he might not even notice. 

They devolved into just grunts and pants and gasps after that, words fleeing both of them in the face of their coupling. This was what Owen wanted, just this, forever. Being close to Gavin, being together with Gavin, loving Gavin. Just this. It wasn’t even about the sex—it was the closeness, the intimacy, being together and apart from everyone else. Being able to love each other the way they wanted to. 

Though Owen wasn’t going to pretend that the sex wasn’t part of it. This time it was slower, less urgent than at first. Owen was more deliberate with his thrusts, aiming for the spot inside Gavin that he knew was there, and hitting it most of the time if Gavin’s shallow breaths and rhythmic grunts were any indication. 

Owen’s guess was proven right when Gavin came before him, his body coiling as he did, spurting less far this time. Owen could barely see it, but the mental picture, the way he knew Gavin’s face was scrunched, his fists in the blankets, got him there too and with a strained noise, he pulled out, added to the mess on Gavin’s belly. 

Panting, Owen collapsed beside Gavin on the blanket. The tent filled with the sound of their breathing for a few minutes, the smell of their bodies and he heat from their actions. 

Before their breathing had returned to normal Gavin got up, and Owen saw him run his fingers up the mess on his chest before he rolled on top of Owen, his breath hot on Owen’s cheek. “Your turn.”

“What took you so long?” Owen asked cheekily. He was still so hard.

Gavin’s response was two fingers shoved in at once, and Owen held back a cry. Gavin fingered him for just a minute or so before pulling them out and positioning his erection, shoving it in all at once. Now it was Owen’s turn to bite his arm and hold back a moan because he liked it to hurt a little too, and it definitely did. 

Once he was in Gavin paused, just breathing on Owen for a minute while Owen got used to it. After a second Owen nodded and Gavin started moving, his thrusts slow but hard and deep, and his aim was dead-on too. Mirroring Owen before, Gavin bit marks into Owen’s neck and collar, fucking him with such determination and purpose that Owen didn’t want it to ever end, but he knew it would eventually, and much sooner than he would have liked Owen could feel it coming again.

When it erupted forth, Owen arched his back and cried out soundlessly, a sustained exhale that lasted until the orgasm had stopped wracking his body. He practically collapsed after that and Gavin hunched down, biting Owen’s shoulder hard, as he filled Owen with his own seed. 

Gavin pulled out and they lay there holding each other, sticky and sweaty and smelly and out of breath, and bruised and marked and sore, and together. Just the way both of them liked it. “I love you so much.” Owen whispered, eyes closed. 

“I love you too, Owen, God.” Gavin moved a little closer, cuddling Owen. “You can’t sleep here. I wish you could.”

“I know, it’s okay.” Owen wasn’t sure from where he was going to find the energy to sneak back to his own tent, but he’d manage. It wasn’t worth their lives for Gabrielle to find them like this in the morning. 

“No it’s not.” Gavin muttered. “I want you to stay here with me. I don’t want you to have to sneak away.”

“I know. Me either.” With how much evidence they’d left on each other, Owen was pretty sure this wasn’t going to stay secret for long anyway. But still. “I can stay for a while.” He said. “It’s a long time until sunrise.”

“Yeah.” Gavin nodded against Owen’s shoulder. “We’ve got time. Let’s rest for a bit. But I want you to do me again.”

Owen chuckled, kissed Gavin’s forehead. “And you call me insatiable.”

“Is that a no?”

“Of course not.” Owen had been about to suggest something similar, once they could move again. “I want you to do me again too.”

“Good.” Gavin smiled. “I missed this. Not just the sex. Being together with you.” 

“I know.” Owen nodded. “Being close. I know what you mean. I missed you too. It was…the hardest part of it all was being separated from you, Gavin.”

“Yeah. I’m not going to let it happen again.”

“Neither am I.”

“Good.” Gavin sighed again. “I can’t move.”

“Neither can I.” Owen admitted, and Gavin snickered. 

“I think that means we did it right.”

“We always do.” Owen smiled. “We’ve gotten a lot better at it.”

“Since the first time? Yeah. And this is a hell of a lot more comfortable than that pile of coins.”

“Yeah, that may not have been my greatest idea.”

“It’s up there with running off half-cocked—or fully cocked, I guess—to kill a dragon and rescue the princess for the sake of your libido.”

“I personally rate that as the best idea I’ve ever had.” Owen told him truthfully.

Gavin laughed. “Me too. And I’m glad you did.” 

“So am I.” If he hadn’t…Owen had no ability to even imagine what his life would be like without Gavin, and held him a little closer. “I love you.” 

“I love you too.”

They stayed like that for a long time, enjoying being together again.


	24. Sometimes Personal Differences Can Be Smoothed Over with Lots of Alcohol and Mockery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Hope everyone enjoyed their Penguin-less holidays.

“Rh’eyltakak, is what the locals used to call it, before the church got a hold of it and called it Mount Saint Bernadette. I think the old name has a bit more gravitas, don’t you?” Robbie wiggled his eyebrows at them. “Anyway, back before there was a monastery there, rumour is it was a hidey-hole during the Flame War. So I’m trekking across the Fury Plateau to climb the stupid thing, and let me tell you that is not a nice place to trek. First of all the Roe Range is full of volcanoes, so it’s sulfur and ash everywhere. The locals aren’t very friendly, and on top of that, well, it’s a huge mountain range. I’m sure Owen knows what that means.” 

“Dragons.” Owen grinned, taking a draw from his tankard. He wasn’t a big drinker and he knew from experience that he would regret it in the morning, but he couldn’t very well be the only one at the table not drinking, and besides, this was the first night since they’d left Merket where they were staying in an inn rather than outside. A little celebration was in order. 

“Dragons.” Robbie agreed with a shake of his head. “Big assholes, too, not like that puny one you scared away.” Robbie paused so Owen could give him the finger. Then he turned back to the table. “Anyway, lot of them nesting around there and we know they don’t like visitors. Wish I could say I fought them all off, but really I ran like hell and hid under a lot of rocks.”

Robbie paused for laughter. “Probably smart.” Deatra told him. “Not all of us can have balls for brains like Owen, and the luck to go with it.”

“It’s all skill.” Owen protested, to lighthearted jeers. 

“Anyway, wish I’d had the lad with me, maybe it wouldn’t have shaved so many years off my life. But eventually I got there, ready to find the treasure that had to be there.” 

“But instead you found the monastery.” Cleo guessed.

“Don’t spoil the ending. But yes. They wouldn’t even let me look through the catacombs, just said there was nothing there.” Robbie’s face split into a grin. “Though some of the nuns up there let me explore their catacombs, if you know what I mean.”

The jeers that followed that were louder than those Owen had gotten. “That’s the worst euphemism I’ve ever heard.” Deatra announced. “It doesn’t even make bloody sense.” 

“Made sense at the time, let me tell you.” 

“Having fun?” An arm landed around Owen and Gavin leaned in from behind, talking into his ear. 

“Hey.” Owen turned his smile on Gavin, who kissed him lightly. “What are you doing?”

“Taking your chair.”

“You going to come sit with us common folk, your Highness?” Dennis asked, looking at Gavin as if unsure of him. Which Owen figured was fair. 

“Yeah, I thought I would for a while. Owen’s going to spend some time with Gabrielle.” 

Owen raised his eyebrows at that, and looked over at the back table, where Gabrielle was currently sitting by herself. Gavin had been with her until a moment ago. “Pretty sure I wasn’t invited over there.” Gabrielle was talking to him, but only in short bursts. And she still went out of her way to limit the amount of time Owen could spend with Gavin. 

“I’m inviting you. And I’m taking your chair in the exchange so I can drink with the fun people.”

“Gabrielle’s not fun?” 

“Gabrielle’s not letting me drink properly. Go.” And he gave Owen a sharp shove that nearly pitched him out of his chair. Owen stood to avoid being sprawled on the floor, pretending that everyone wasn’t laughing at him.

“This is going to end with me getting beat up.” He muttered in Gavin’s ear before straightening. “Sorry, got to go.” He told them. “Boss’s orders.” Owen paused before turning around. “Get Gavin to tell you the story about the ghost in the church in Knifewater.” It was one of the only stories where Gavin came out looking like a fool instead of Owen.

“Owen.” Gavin glared at him, and Owen smiled innocently before heading across the crowded common room to Gabrielle’s table. He could already hear them demanding the details from Gavin. 

Gabrielle saw him coming long before he got there and didn’t actively make to stop him, so Owen sat across from her, projecting confidence he didn’t feel. “Evening.” 

“You’re not my brother.”

“He stole my chair.” Owen said. “And made me come over here. I think he wants us to be friends.”

“I think that’s not going to happen.” Gabrielle looked at Owen darkly, and took a drink. “I’m putting up with you, and that’s going to have to be good enough.”

“And I appreciate that.” Owen said with a small smile. “But Gavin tends to get what he wants.”

“From you, maybe.” Gabrielle snorting. “I’m not sleeping with him. I have more leeway.”

“Do you?” Owen asked, honestly curious. Gabrielle just looked at him and raised her hand to summon the server with more beer. 

A young man brought over a platter with two tankards on it and Gabrielle nodded for Owen to take the second one. He’d left his other one at the other table. “I shouldn’t.” Owen muttered, taking it by the hand. “I’ve already had too much.”

“You’re still talking straight, so that seems unlikely.” Gabrielle countered. “Besides, alcohol is good for you.”

“It’s…really not.” Owen frowned.

“You, of all people, are going to call me a liar?” Gabrielle put her elbows on the table, leaning forward in challenge. 

Owen had to look away and took a drink from the tankard. “Fair enough.” He mumbled into the froth. He could feel himself getting lightheaded. “Think Gavin was mostly annoyed because you weren’t letting him drink.”

“I let him have a little bit. He’s a child.”

“No, he isn’t.” 

Gabrielle didn’t answer that for several minutes, until both of them had emptied what was in front of them. “No, he isn’t.” She finally agreed. “But I still think of him as one. It was hard enough for me to come to terms with the fact that he wasn’t a little boy anymore before all of this—overnight he went from being my cute little brother to being a dog in bloody heat.”

“Female dogs go into heat.” Owen pointed out.

“Shut up.” Gabrielle pointed back. “It was bad enough knowing that he _wanted_ to have sex, and now that I know he actually _is_ , I just…” The server came back with more beer, and Gabrielle indicated for Owen to take another. He did, and drank dutifully. 

“I’m not making you picture him having sex.” Owen said after a minute. “You’re the one who keeps bringing it up. I mean, you’re his sister—you think I’m not perfectly happy to pretend that isn’t happening around you?” Hopefully Gabrielle at least hadn’t heard about all the marks he’d left on Gavin—who had made a point of bathing where people could see him the day after their nocturnal adventure. 

Gabrielle watched him for a little while longer before speaking again. “I didn’t know he liked men.” She said finally. “Before now.”

“Hell of a way to find out.” Owen muttered. “I don’t know if he knew either, though. I know I didn’t know I did until I met him.” 

“Really?”

“Yeah. I thought…” Owen trailed off. “No, I need to drink more before I tell you that story.” 

“That can be arranged.” Gabrielle summoned the server again. 

“You know, I’d have died a million times if it wasn’t for him.” Owen said, while they waited. More beer was brought and this time Owen didn’t wait to be told to drink it. “I think you’d be proud of everything he’s done.”

“I am.” Gabrielle admitted. “I don’t even know half of it and I am.”

“You want to hear about it?” 

“Sure, until you’re drunk enough to say whatever it was you mentioned earlier.” 

So Owen regaled her with stories of their adventures, picking out the ones he was best at telling and the ones that made Gavin look the best. At first Gabrielle listened rather stoically, but by the end Owen had her at least laughing at the parts where he looked like an idiot. “…And then Gavin says, ‘no, Owen. Those are snakes.’” 

Gabrielle snorted into her beer. “It’s a wonder you survived so long. You know, when he was little, they tried to train Gavin in the sword. He was terrible at it—he still is, honestly. After a little while he just stopped going to practice and when I went to force him to it, he told me…” She paused for a minute, cheeks ruddy, as she recalled. “He said, ‘Gabi, You’re way better than me, so you should practice. You can protect me.’ And I told him that I might not always be able to do that, and he said he’d find someone else who could if I was ever too busy. But…you know what he said when I told him he ought to be able to protect himself?”

“What?”

“He told me that he would just scare off anyone who tried to hurt him. Very matter-of-fact, while hiding behind his teddy bear.” 

Now it was Owen’s turn to laugh. “That sounds like him.”

“Yeah, he’s always talked a big game. Tripped over his own pantlegs until his was fifteen, but he was always sure that he could just talk the world into working out in his favour.” 

“I can’t picture Gavin being clumsy.”

“You tell me whatever it was and I’ll tell you about the time he dropped my father’s crown into the moat.” 

Owen couldn’t help a glance over his shoulder at Gavin, who definitely wouldn’t have approved of this line of conversation. But that was what he got for stealing Owen’s chair. “I thought Gavin was you.” Owen said, taking a long drink. “When I went to rescue him from the dragon. I mean, I didn’t know who you were or what you looked like or anything, but I’d heard a princess had been kidnapped.” 

Gabrielle just looked at him, face blank, but an amused expression grew slowly across her features. “Oh.” She said, getting it. “Now I see. How very disappointed you must have been.”

“Oddly, no.” Owen shrugged, though he found he couldn’t quite coordinate his shoulders properly. “It worked out alright in the end.” 

“Better not let it get out that your dragon-slaying skills come entirely from your drive to sleep with me.”

“Oh, I wasn’t planning on sleeping.” Owen mumbled into his tankard, wondering where the beer had gone. Gabrielle laughed again. “Anyway. That’s the real origin story of our relationship.”

“How very fitting for the two of you.” Gabrielle laughed, shook her head. “You seem good for each other.”

“You don’t _have_ to sound like admitting that is a punch to the face.”

“Quiet, I’m trying to be a bigger person here.” 

“Sorry.”

“It’s clear that you love him as much as he loves you.” Gabrielle went on. “It’s actually kind of embarrassing watching the two of you. So consider this the mandatory warning that if you hurt him I’ll rip your arms off.”

“Does that mean I’m off the ‘smother in his sleep’ list?”

“It means you can stop sneaking into Gavin’s tent through the back.” Gabrielle grumbled. “As long as I don’t have to fucking hear about it.” 

“Agreed.” Owen smiled, raising his hand to call for more. “Your promised a story about a crown and a moat.”

“Oh, that’s not the half of it. If I can’t force you to not to see each other, I’ll tell you stories about his childhood until you’re too embarrassed to be seen with him.” She smiled. “Trust me, there are a lot. This one time, we were hosting some nobility from the west, and Gavin thought it would be a good idea to show their children around the castle on his own…”


	25. Meeting Your Boyfriend's Parents Is Slightly More Stressful When They Wear Crowns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for a major change in scenery.

“Your hair’s getting long.”

“Yeah, I know.” Owen looked over at Gavin, breaking his study of the capital approaching them. “I’ve been meaning to cut it, but I never get around to it.”

“You shouldn’t.” Gavin said, reaching out and taking a bit of Owen’s hair between two fingers. “I like it this way. Makes you look rugged.”

Owen couldn’t help the grin that came to his face at that. “And here I was worried you were going to make me clean up my act now that we’re going to be at your house.”

“As cute as it would be to see you try, let’s not worry too much about it for now.” Gavin smiled at Owen now. “Don’t worry, my parents will like you.”

“Your parents are the king and queen, they’re not going to be impressed with me.” This was a cause of legitimate worry for Owen. There wasn’t going to be a lot he could do if Gavin’s parents decided to forbid them from seeing each other. 

Not legally, anyway. Owen wasn’t going to be separated from Gavin again. 

“They will once we tell them that you saved me and that I love you, and besides, they’re perfectly nice. Nice runs in my family, if you haven’t noticed.”

“I have, yes.” Owen deadpanned.

“I can hear you.” Gabrielle was just in front of them, and she threw a look over her shoulder.

“I was talking about Gavin.” Owen assured her.

“Fair enough.”

“Hey!” Gavin put on a fake pout. “Stop siding with Gabrielle.” 

“You’re the one who wanted me to be friends with her.”

“Yeah, but I’m the one sleeping with you. I expect you to be on my side at all times.”

Owen raised an eyebrow. He thought of a few jibes about how often Gavin wasn’t on his side and how often Gavin chose to make fun of him over helping him. But he didn’t say that. Instead, he said, “I’m always on your side, forever, Gavin. Promise.”

Gavin just blinked, went red and looked away. “Way to go and make it weird, Owen.” He looked pleased, though. 

“I’m embarrassed just to be seen with either of you.” Gabrielle sighed as they came within sight of the city gates. “Do me a favour and stop flirting for fifteen minutes, would you? It’s going to be hard enough to explain to all the knights and our parents why I brought back Gavin’s suitor instead of his captor without you two helping.” 

“I think if we started kissing right when you started trying to explain, it would sum the issue up pretty readily.” Gavin pointed out, and Owen kind of agreed, but he was more with Gabrielle’s way of thinking at the moment.

“Just keep your hands off each other and be quiet, okay? Consider it a formal order from the heir apparent, a polite request from your guardian and plea from your beloved sister.” 

“Well, when you put it like that there’s no way to say no without seeming like a dick.” Owen told her.

“That was the idea. Look, they’ve come to meet us.” 

She was right. A column of knights was emerging from the gates, marching towards them with an old man at the front. Owen tried to affect disinterest. He’d met lots of knights; they weren’t that impressive.

It was still kind of cool. 

“Knight Commander.” Gabrielle halted, raising her hand for everyone behind her to do the same. 

“Your Highness.” The knight commander said. He was a distinguished-looking man with thinning hair, but Owen had no doubt that the sword he wore at his hip wasn’t in any way ornamental. His eyes moved from Gabrielle to Gavin, passing briefly over Owen and the rest of them before settling back on the two siblings. “I see your mission was successful. Congratulations.”

“Thank you, sir.” Gabrielle smiled. “A little longer than I planned to be gone, but I hope you’ll forgive my tardiness.”

“Of course.” The knight commander smiled back, and then looked at Gavin. “Your Highness. It’s good to see you unharmed. I am truly sorry for the failure of my order to protect you during this ordeal.”

Gavin nodded graciously. “Worry not, Commander Stormhowe. It was less of an ordeal than you might think, and I fear some blame does fall on me—I should have come home earlier. Please accept my apologies for any anxiety I may have caused you and yours.” That was Owen’s fault, not Gavin’s, but Owen didn’t say anything. 

“Don’t lower yourself to worry about that, Highness.” Stormhowe nodded. “I’m just glad to see you unharmed.” He turned back to Gabrielle. “If it pleases you both, I’d ask the honour of escorting you to the castle. I believe you’ve some people there who are looking forward to seeing both of you.”

“Of course.” Gabrielle nodded. “Lead the way, sir.”

The knight commander turned around and led them through the gates, the knights fanning out around them to escort them through. “Ready to see the capital?” Gavin asked, smiling at Owen. 

Owen smiled back, wanting badly to take Gavin’s hand but resisting. “I guess. After all this, it’d better be quite something.”

Gavin shrugged. “It’s okay.” And as he said that, they passed through the gates and onto the wide concourse that was the main road in Three Hills. Even from here Owen could see that there were more hills than advertised, but maybe whoever had built the city just hadn’t been able to count. It was a broad, sprawling city of increasingly taller buildings and streets that seemed cleaner than what he’d seen in Merket and other cities. There were crowds of people lined up along those streets, cheering and waving as they came into the city. 

They were cheering for Gavin and Gabrielle, Owen realized, and it made him want to shrink back a little to avoid it. “They like you.” He said to Gavin, sweating. It had been hot outside, but it was hotter in the city, and the knights pressing around them and the crowds of people were making it worse. 

“The monarchy is popular, especially in the capital.” Owen turned to see Aria coming up behind him a little, Cleo in tow. “Though I suppose an unpopular monarchy would have been deposed by now, so maybe that’s not saying much.”

“You’re right, though.” Gavin nodded, smiling out at the crowds and waving at people as they went by. Owen was grateful for all of Stormhowe’s knights keeping the crowd from thronging too close to them. “They like Gabrielle and I in particular, I think. She’s a knight and I’m charming, so…” He shrugged with one shoulder. 

“You’re only charming because they don’t know you.” Gabrielle muttered from ahead of them. She was waving at the crowd, though her smile wasn’t as broad. 

“I know him and I think he’s charming.” Owen said, with a totally straight face. To be fair, he did think that. Gavin had thoroughly charmed him, after all, and Owen was happy with that. 

He could practically hear Gabrielle roll her eyes, and Gavin laughed a little. “That’s more like it, Owen.”

“I live to serve, Your Highness.” Owen said with a grin. 

Gabrielle shook her head and spurred her mount a little to ride closer to the knight commander, where from what Owen heard she started giving him a report on what had happened during her mission to retrieve Gavin.

The city got bigger and bigger the more of it they traversed, and Owen got worse and worse at trying not to gawk at everything. He’d been in cities before, he reminded himself, but this one was bigger. 

Especially once they got into the area where the palace was. They passed by a huge walled compound of towers that Gavin told him housed the mages’ academy, an enormous cathedral called the First Church of the Blessed and a number of large manor houses in which lived various noble families in the capital. Gavin pointed out a lot of them and told him the names of the families who lived there, usually accompanied by a random bizarre fact like who had a pet duck or whose son had once managed to leave his smallclothes at a fancy dinner. 

And then finally they were upon it. Behind a huge wall and a heavy gate, they crossed a drawbridge around an actual moat with actual water in it (it was nice water, though, looking more like a lake around the castle than anything) and onto the huge green space that housed the castle, which had too many towers to count and too many windows and was too big a building. Owen could see why Gavin hadn’t been all that impressed by the ice wizard’s castle when he’d grown up here. 

Owen hardly had any time to look at it, though, before the phalanx of knights cleared up and revealed a small crowd of people waiting for them just in the little courtyard on the other side of the bridge. Gabrielle dismounted and the rest of them followed suit, Gavin sending Owen one last smile before he and Gabrielle moved forward. 

Owen would have known that the man and woman standing in the centre of the group were Gavin’s parents without the ornate dress and the way everyone clearly had their attention on them. Gavin took after both of them in different ways that were readily apparent. Gabrielle and Gavin approached the king and queen, and both of them knelt formally. The king said something Owen didn’t hear and Gavin stood, and he hugged his father, and then his mother, both of whom held him so tightly that Owen couldn’t help but feel guilty for his part in keeping them apart all over again. 

“You look worried.” Aria said at his shoulder as Gabrielle hugged her parents as well. 

“It’s still possible they’ll try to arrest me.” Owen muttered, watching Gavin talk to his mother. There were a few other people nearby, all of whom seemed to want to greet Gavin and Gabrielle, but Gavin was talking to his mother and father, so it was left to Gabrielle to say hello. There was a dark southerner about Owen’s own age, who in Owen’s estimation looked particularly nervous, and Owen wondered why. But he grinned over his shoulder at Aria, trying to project confidence. “Even I’d have a bit of trouble fighting my way through all this.” There were a lot more than eight knights behind them. 

Aria just shrugged and patted him on the back. “I’d help you, it’d be fine.” 

“You think the two of us could take the entire order of knights?” Owen asked, sizing some of them up out of the corner of his eye, purely out of curiosity, of course.

“You think we couldn’t?” Aria asked, smirking at him. Owen smirked back, shrugging a little. “Well, if they’re lucky we won’t have to find out. You’re being summoned.” Owen looked where she was pointing him and saw that Gavin was waving him over. 

“Thanks.” Owen said to Aria, stepping forward and forcing himself not to shake with nerves. It was fine, it was going to be fine. 

He joined Gavin with his parents, heart thumping. That Gavin was a little red around the ears and visibly fidgety wasn’t helping matters. “Dad, mom. This is Owen.” 

Owen swallowed, knelt like he’d seen Gavin do. “Hello, Your Graces.” He hoped that was the right thing to say. It sounded right to him. 

Nobody said anything for a moment, before the king said, “You can stand, young man.” Owen did, coming face to face with the king and queen. Owen was looking down at Gavin’s father, just a little, but he was sturdy-looking. The queen was taller than her husband by a bit and also very sturdy without quite leaning into heavy, and she looked as if she were weighing Owen to cook in her head. “Gavin tells us you rescued him.”

Owen hesitated, glancing at Gavin. “Yes, sir. Though I think he’d have rescued himself if I’d gotten there a bit later.” 

The king smiled a little. “You have our thanks. Our son means the world to us.”

“Dad…” Gavin grumbled, shuffling his feet a bit. 

“I was just trying to help, sir.” Owen said, not sure if he was allowed to look at the king or not. In stories people went blind or got fed their own eyes for doing that, but that probably wasn’t true. 

Probably. 

“Well, help you did. If you want any reward, name it and it will be yours, Owen.”

“I…” Owen paused. He seriously doubted that, since all he wanted was Gavin. “There’s nothing I want, sir. I wasn’t out for a reward.” He lied.

“Oh, is that so?” The king seemed mildly amused, and Owen had a feeling that the lie hadn’t gone undetected. 

“I’m curious as to why it took you so long to come back, though.” The queen said, drawing Owen’s attention. “Did you not know where the capital was?”

Owen resisted the urge to laugh, because it probably wasn’t meant as a joke. 

“Mom.” Gavin interjected. 

“I’m very sorry about that.” Owen said, taking a breath. “I know you must have been very worried about him.”

“Interesting way of not answering the question, young man.” 

Owen stiffened a little, but Gavin saved him. “It was my fault, mom. I asked Owen to come with me on an adventure.” 

“An adventure?” The queen did not sound impressed. 

“I suppose that explains why you were in the north.” The king said. He also did not sound impressed. Neither the king nor the queen seemed particularly impressed with this whole situation. “I suppose we’re lucky to see you unharmed, at least.”

“It wasn’t luck; Owen protected me.” 

“Did he?” The king asked, looking at Owen again. “He does look capable, I must admit. Despite not wanting anything, though, he did all that. Owen, I should ask you again what it is that you want in return.”

“I really don’t want anything, sir.”

“Lying to the king is a crime, son.”

“I love him.” Gavin suddenly blurted out, and that definitely got everyone’s attention. Gavin stood there, looking a little surprised with himself. But having committed, he soldiered on. “Owen and I love each other. I wanted to spend time with him before I came home, that’s all. That’s why we went north. It’s why I didn’t let him take me home. I love him.” 

Into the silence that followed, Gavin lifted his head, watching for a reaction. Not able to bear how lost he suddenly looked, Owen stepped forward and wrapped him in a hug, which Gavin immediately reciprocated. “I love you too.” He muttered in Gavin’s ear. 

“Sorry.” Gavin answered. “I fucked up a bit.”

“I feel like it was going to come out pretty quickly anyway.” Owen smiled, giving Gavin a pat on the back. “I was already getting itchy from not being able to touch you.” It was funny how Gavin being nervous made Owen feel more confident. “It’ll be fine.”

Gavin laughed a little and disengaged from Owen, and the two of them turned to face Gavin’s family, holding hands. 

Neither of his parents looked very happy. Owen stood firm. “Sir.” He said to the king, who suddenly seemed a lot taller. “You asked me what I want, and it’s a crime to lie to the king, so…I want to be allowed to be with Gavin. That’s all.” 

The king and queen looked at each other for a long time, then the king turned to Gabrielle, who was standing with the nervous-looking foreigner. “You knew about this?”

“Yes.” Gabrielle nodded. “For the record, I tried to separate them, and it didn’t work. Just made them both miserable. I don’t suggest it.” 

Another long look between the two of them. The queen sighed. “Well, it seems we have rather a lot to catch up on.” She said, eyeing Owen. “And rather a lot to discuss. Let’s meet the rest of your companions, Gavin, and then we’ve a banquet prepared to celebrate your return.” 

“Thanks, mom.” Gavin let go of Owen’s hand and beckoned Aria and the rest of them over. He gave his mother another hug. “I missed you both.”

“We missed you too, son.” The queen sighed again, smiling at Gavin. “We’re glad you’re okay.”

“You have Owen to thank for that.”

Owen started to protest that that wasn’t true, but the queen smiled at him. “Thank you, Owen. You have no idea, the fear we had for him.” 

Owen just nodded, feeling a little bad again. “I’m glad he’s safe.”

“So are we.” Said the king, as Aria approached with Cleo. Dennis and Deatra were behind them. “The rest we can talk about later.”

As much as he wasn’t looking forward to that later, Owen took solace in the fact that they didn’t seem that upset. Gavin took his hand again as he introduced the rest of their group to the king and queen and squeezed it tight. “It’s going to be fine.” He whispered to Owen while the king was talking to Aria.

“I know.” Owen whispered back, smiling. Of course it was going to be fine. They were together, and that was all it took.


	26. All Moments of Togetherness are Equally Valuable

Owen had gotten to know the castle grounds pretty well in the last few days. The castle was cool, but it felt like everyone was looking at him all the time and Owen was worried that he was going to break everything he touched, so he’d been spending time outdoors instead.

He kept getting told that the king and queen were going to want to talk to him soon, but in three days it hadn’t happened yet. And Gavin was spending most of his time with them—which Owen understood, he did—but it left him with little to do but wander around the grounds and look at all the plants here. There were occasionally groundskeepers or guards around, and Owen had gotten to know something of them a little, though the guards mostly seemed suspicious of him.

He also spent a lot of time with Aria, but she was off somewhere today, leaving him by himself. 

He was happy that Gavin was reunited with his family, he really was. This was where Gavin belonged, here in the castle. It was just hard, hard to be separated from him again. To be given a separate bedroom and hardly see him at all during the day. Owen knew he shouldn’t complain, that he might well have been given a prison cell and hadn’t been, but it was still hard. 

“So you’re just out here pouting?”

Owen turned at Gabrielle’s voice, smiling a little. She was out of armour, though she still looked like she could easily kill him. Just in a classier way. “Just thought I’d go for a walk.”

“Sure you did.” Gabrielle shook her head, patting Owen on the shoulder. “You’re moping because you’ve been separated from the love of your life for three days and don’t know what to do with all your energy.”

“Well…” Owen shifted a little uncomfortably. “Yes.” 

“You’re a bit pathetic.”

“I’m a bit okay with that.”

“You have no dignity, I swear.” Gabrielle sighed, but she was smiling. “He snuck away from mom and dad earlier. I’m sure he’s out looking for you.”

“Seriously?” Owen looked around, excited. Of course Gavin wasn’t just standing behind a bush. Still, knowing he was theoretically accessible made him a little giddy. 

“No dignity. Either of you.”

“Dignity’s for knights,” Owen told her, returning his attention to Gabrielle. 

She laughed. “When did being a knight become an insult, exactly?”

“It wasn’t!” Owen put up his hands to defend himself, suddenly wondering if Gabrielle had a sword hidden in her regular clothes. It seemed possible. “I was just saying, that’s all. You all seem very dignified.”

“Sure,” Gabrielle offered. “If all you’re going to do is wander around the castle bored, why don’t you come down to the fortress some time? You could spar with us.” 

Owen’s eyes went wide. “Wait, really? That—that would be awesome, Gabrielle.” 

Gabrielle shrugged. “You can’t let your skills go to seed just because there’s a wall around us here. And besides, one thing you made pretty clear on the way here is that our highly-trained squires could learn a thing or two from a less formal style of fighting. I think it’s a good idea.”

“I think so too.” Owen had gone near the training grounds for the castle guard here in the castle—once. The suspicious looks had made it pretty clear that he wasn’t particularly welcome there. “Thank you so much. I’d really like that.”

“Me too. You and I never did get to go against each other, either” Now Gabrielle was grinning at him. 

Owen grinned back, though he was suddenly nervous. “You’re…you’re going to use a practice sword, right?”

“Maybe,” Gabrielle chuckled. She nodded at something behind Owen. “There he is.” 

Owen turned on the spot, and saw she hadn’t been lying. There was Gavin, heading their way while trying not to seem in any particular hurry. Owen moved to intercept him and then they were there, and Gavin gave Owen a hard hug. “Hey.”

“I missed you,” Owen muttered, hugging him back. 

“Me too. I hope they’re treating you properly.”

“Yeah.” They were, Owen assumed. “You must be glad to get to spend time with your parents again.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Gavin pulled back with a sigh, taking Owen’s hand in his instead. “I am. I never wanted to spend time with them to the exclusion of you, though.”

“It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not. I convinced them to invite you to supper tomorrow. Actually, you know, talk to you.” 

Oh, well now Owen was nervous. “What if they hate me?” What if they expected him to know things about formal etiquette and different types of forks?

“They won’t,” Gavin promised. “Just be yourself.”

“I don’t suggest that,” Gabrielle told them from behind Owen. “You’re annoying.”

“Shhh,” Gavin said to her, taking Owen’s hand up and kissing it. “We’re having a moment.”

“You two are a walking ‘moment.’ What’s one more?” Gabrielle asked with a loud sigh. 

“You’re jealous that I get Owen and you’re stuck with that dumb southerner.”

“Oh, shut up,” Gabrielle grumbled.

“I heard you were engaged to some prince.” Owen nodded. Servants did talk, after all. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks. I’m sure it’s fine.” Gabrielle clearly didn’t care overly. “I knew that was on the horizon when I left to find Gavin. I didn’t realize he’d be here waiting when I got back, but…” She shrugged. “I’m sure he’s fine.”

“Have you not talked to him?”

“Dragon!”

Owen reacted to the call without thinking much about it, spinning to face the voice, pushing Gavin behind him and looking up to the sky. Another one? His heart rate picked up, and he mentally went through what he knew the grounds looked like in his mind, trying to think of where he could get Gavin to run to. He didn’t even have a sword on, but there was probably a guard nearby he could get one from. 

There was nothing in the sky, but…

“Owen.” Gavin tapped on his shoulder, pointing. To the ground, where a dog was loping towards them, tongue wagging everywhere. 

“Dragon, come back!” There was a young boy in green chasing after the dog, but he was clearly no match for the dog’s speed. “Look out!” He called to them.

But the dog—Dragon—came crashing to a halt in front of them, then looked up at Gavin, tail wagging excitedly. He snuffled his way in between Owen and Gavin, sniffing at them and slobbering everywhere, before moving to do the same to Gabrielle, who shook her head and just patted him.

“Dragon is a dog,” Owen said, watching him. The name got the dog’s attention and he came over for Owen to pat him too, which Owen did.

“Yeah.” Gavin, Owen could hear, was laughing at him. “It’s Franz’s dog.” 

“Oh, how was I supposed to know?” Owen muttered, glad Gavin couldn’t see his face. “It’s a stupid thing to name a dog.”

“At least I know you’ll protect me from all dragons—even the fuzzy ones.” Now Dragon moved for attention from Gavin again, slobbering all over the front of his shirt. “Oh, gross.”

“I’m so sorry.” The boy finally caught up to all of them, looking nervously at Gabrielle and Gavin. “Your Highnesses. Normally he never runs off like that.”

“It’s fine,” Gabrielle told the boy. “He’s just a dog. He’s not hurting anyone.”

“Except for my shirt,” Gavin griped. 

“I’m sure someone in the castle can help you find another shirt, you baby.” Gabrielle sighed, looking down at the dog. “You’re a stupid looking dog.”

“Don’t be mean,” Owen told her, crouching down to pat the dog on his sides. “He’s friendly.” Which was good, since he was huge and could probably easily hurt someone if he wanted to. But Dragon just sat there contentedly and panted while Owen patted him. 

“He’s, uh…” The boy still seemed nervous. “He’s a very well-behaved dog, I promise.”

“I believe you,” Owen said, though he was pretty sure the boy wasn’t talking to him. “He just wanted to come meet us, that’s all. What’s your name?”

“Ah, Frederick, sir.”

“You’re one of Franz’s servants?” Gavin asked him, still frowning. 

“I’m his page, your Highness.” 

Something about that seemed to annoy Gavin, but he reigned it in and smiled with a nod. “Dogs don’t listen to people who don’t sound authoritative. You sound nervous when you talk, that’s why he didn’t come when you called him.”

“Oh.” Frederick flushed a little. “Thank you, your Highness. I’ll try to remember that. I’m very sorry.”

“It’s fine.” Gavin looked down at Owen. “I had Owen to protect me from this terrifying creature.”

“Oh, shut it,” Owen huffed, standing again. Dragon went back to Gavin for more attention, who just frowned down at him. “He’s huge. He could have hurt you or something. Besides, how the hell was I supposed to know?”

“Dauntless Owen,” Gabrielle supplied. “Defending innocent princes from dog slobber the kingdom across.”

“Don’t help.” 

“Not defending them very well, I’d like to point out,” Gavin added.

“What, was I supposed to jump in front of him to protect your shirt?”

“If he’d been an actual dragon, you’ve have jumped in front of him—and you did, when that’s what you thought he was.”

“Well, yeah.” Owen nodded seriously. “And you can all make fun of me—but I don’t feel bad about that. I’d never not jump in front of you, Gavin.”

“You…” Now it was Gavin’s turn to look embarrassed. “Except when there’s dog slobber,” he muttered, looking away. It was really cute.

“Well, I expect you to protect yourself from _something_ ,” Owen shot back. “Which you’re perfectly capable of doing, if I remember right.”

“Stop flirting, you’re scaring the dog,” Gabrielle interrupted, exasperated. 

The dog didn’t seem very scared, but Owen looked over at Gabrielle. “His dog is nice,” he told her. “That says something about a person, you know.”

“I wonder. They say pets resemble their masters,” Gabrielle muttered. 

Frederick snorted a laugh that he tried—poorly—to hide. 

“All right, I’ve got stuff to do,” Gabrielle announced, making to leave. “I’ll see you around. And I was serious—come see us at the fortress some day.”

“I will, thanks.”

Gabrielle nodded and moved off, waving at them as she went.

“Why don’t you go get a stick?” Gavin said to Frederick. “We’ll throw it for him or something.”

“Oh, yes, I can do that, your Highness.” The boy trotted off towards some trees, scanning the ground. It would likely take him a few minutes to find one with how meticulous the groundskeepers were here. 

Which Gavin probably knew. “I was hoping we could sneak off a bit, but I guess that wasn’t in the cards.”

There were too many people around for that anyway, Owen thought. “It’s okay,” he said, smiling. “You know I just like being able to spend time with you.”

“Me too.” Gavin smiled at Owen. “How are you doing in the castle?”

Between them, Dragon chuffed a little. He was drooling on Gavin’s shoes now, but Gavin hadn’t noticed yet. 

“I’m fine. The guards watch me everywhere I go, so I’m out here a lot.” Owen shrugged. “But it’s nice.” 

“They’ll get over it,” Gavin promised.

“I’m not worried. You’re here for me, aren’t you?”

“Of course I am.” Gavin took Owen’s hand again, and this time Owen took it up and kissed Gavin’s. 

“Me too,” Owen promised. “I’m glad you’re home.”

“I’m glad you’re with me.”

“I always will be.” That was true—because Owen would make sure it was true. “Always.”

“Even when there’s dog slobber?”

“I’m here now, aren’t I?”

That had Gavin looking down, realizing that Dragon had drooled on his shoes. “Dammit, dog!”

Owen laughed, even as Gavin got Dragon excited again and started a new cycle of snuffling for attention. He couldn’t imagine any possible way of being happier than this. It was what he wanted forever, just to be close to Gavin like this.

Even when there was dog slobber.


	27. Not All Adversity is Found in a Dragon's Maw

“Your parents hate me,” Owen muttered, looking up at the sky. 

“No, they don’t,” Gavin assured him. 

“Well, they definitely don’t like me very much.” In another life Owen would have been horrified that the king and queen didn’t like him very much. As it was, he was just worried about what it might mean for him and Gavin. 

“Yeah, but that’s different than hating you.” Gavin smiled at Owen, tossing a leaf at his face. “They’ll get over it.” 

“I hope so,” Owen grumbled, blowing the leaf away. “At least they didn’t say we couldn’t see each other.” 

“Just that we can’t fuck,” Gavin agreed, sighing and leaning back against the tree.

“Do you have to say it that loud when there are a million guards?” Owen sat up, trying not to be too obvious in looking around for those million guards. There were a lot of them here in the castle. 

“Yes.” Owen could hear the pout in Gavin’s tone. “Setting the castle guard to babysit us, I swear to God.” 

“To be fair, you did get kidnapped last time the castle guard took their eye off you,” Owen pointed out. There were times when he thought that Gavin had honestly forgotten that he’d been plucked up by a dragon one day. 

“To be fair, shut up,” Gavin countered, raising a finger. “Besides, they’re not here to stop me getting kidnapped, they’re here to stop me getting dick.”

Owen sighed, because Gavin wasn’t wrong. 

“They’ll get over it,” Gavin went on, plucking bits of grass up. “Gabrielle did, and she really did hate you for a bit.” 

Despite everything, Owen was stupidly excited about her invitation to come to the fortress and spar. He thought he was putting up a good front of being calm and collected about it, though. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah.” Gavin sighed now. “They’ll warm up to you.” 

“Once we get them past the whole dirty commoner thing,” Owen added. He knew that was the main reason why he wasn’t an ideal partner for Gavin. A prince should be with another noble or something. 

It was stupid. 

“You can take a bath.” Gavin waved a hand. “Or don’t, I don’t care.” 

“I don’t think the actual dirtiness is the issue, Gavin.”

“I’ll take one with you,” Gavin went on, grinning a bit now. “I’ll scrub you until you’re so clean nobody would recognize you.” He leaned in as he spoke, lowering his voice so that Owen had to lean as well to hear him, and he kissed Owen on the cheek. 

“Past experience tells me neither of us will get all that clean from having a bath together, Gavin,” Owen said, shaking his head. “Your family already thinks I’m corrupting you, we probably don’t need to go out of our way to make it worse.”

“Corrupting me.” Gavin snorted, and grabbed Owen’s head to kiss him properly on the mouth, pushing until they both fell over with Gavin in between Owen’s legs. “I’m corrupting you and we both know it, you poor, honest, hardworking farmboy.” 

“Excuse me, my parents run an inn. I’m a stableboy,” Owen said, feeling a little bold and taking Gavin by the hips, kissing him back. “And sometimes a scullion, but besides, I’m none of those things—I’m a rough, crass and dangerous sellsword. Who knows what filthy things I’ve been forcing you to do all this time.” 

“Like I don’t have you wrapped around my finger.” Gavin shook his head, hands on Owen’s head.

“Well, there is that,” Owen admitted. “But there’s no place I’d rather be.”

Part of Owen was expecting the castle guard to interrupt them, so he was keeping a bit of an ear on their surroundings. He heard the sound of something running their way just in time to turn away from Gavin and get a face full of dog. 

“Fuck.” Gavin growled, falling away from the huge mastiff while Owen laughed. 

He stopped laughing when Dragon started licking his face. “Ew, fuck, no, stop.” But the dog was actually a jowly grey horse, and it took Owen a few seconds to convince Dragon to stop licking him. 

He was a nice dog, but he had shitty timing. 

“Well, now I’m definitely not kissing you until you wash your face.”

“Aw.” Owen pouted, though he didn’t blame Gavin. “Stupid dog.” 

“Not that you need me to, if you’re going to be cheating on me with my brother-in-law’s dog.” Gavin couldn’t quite keep the snot out of his voice as he said it. 

The dog just sat there and panted in the heat, his breath making Owen even hotter than he had been. “Lay down, Dragon.” Owen said, and the dog did, resting his head in Owen’s lap. “He’s a perfectly nice dog.” 

“Yes, and Prince Franz seems like a perfectly nice young man.” Gavin said, very politely. “And just like his dog, he’s nice because he doesn’t have the brainpower to be anything else.” 

“Have you ever even talked to him?” Owen asked, idly patting Franz’s dog. 

“A few times at supper. He wants to be my friend,” Gavin scoffed. “Apparently, all my other friends have told him all about me and he’s so glad that I’m back safe and can’t wait to get to know his new brother.” 

“You don’t have to sound like you want to throw up when you say it.” Owen thought Gavin was being a bit dramatic about the whole thing, though admittedly he hadn’t met Prince Franz yet. 

“He talks to me like I’m ten years old,” Gavin huffed. “He’s an asshole, and this is exactly why the idea that nobles should marry other nobles is stupid. Give me a rough, dirty sellsword any day.” 

Owen watched Gavin complain, thinking that the existence of his new brother-in-law wasn’t reason enough for him to be that upset. “Are you okay?” Owen asked, hand on the dog’s head. “What’s bothering you?”

“Nothing, I’m fine.”

“Gavin, you know you can’t lie to me.”

Gavin pulled a face and looked away for a minute, but then he looked back at Owen and sighed. “I’m just…I’m tired of hearing about how you’re not suitable for me. I’m tired of my parents trying to tell me that I don’t really love you.” 

“What?” Owen straightened a little, startling the dog. “They’re telling you that?”

Gavin nodded miserably. “They keep saying that it’s fine if I’d rather be with a man than a woman, but that I can’t just start chasing after the first pretty face I see. Like I only like you because you were there, and that’s not…it’s not fair, Owen. I don’t…I didn’t.”

“I know.” Owen moved forward, ignoring the whinge when he pushed Dragon off his lap, and pulled Gavin into a hug, holding Gavin against his chest. He didn’t want to ever let go. “Don’t let them tell you that. You love me, Gavin.” Owen didn’t have a problem saying that—he knew it was true, knew it with every part of himself. 

“And you love me too.” Gavin closed his eyes, nodded. 

“Exactly. So we have to convince your parents that they’re wrong, that’s all.” 

Gavin nodded again against Owen’s chest. “How?”

“I haven’t figured that part out yet,” Owen admitted. 

A chuckle escaped Gavin, and then another one, and then it was a full-on giggle and Gavin was laughing at him.

“Hey,” Owen said, still hugging Gavin. “You’re the brains of the outfit. Cut me some slack.”

“I’d kiss you if you weren’t covered in dog slobber,” Gavin told him, pulling back. The dog whinged. 

Owen grinned at him and leaned in, pecked Gavin on the cheek. “Ew, ew, Owen! Gross.” 

“Dragon and I are offended.” 

“I love you,” Gavin sighed, wiping at his cheek with the back of his hand. 

“I love you too, Gavin.” 

“Thanks.” Gavin smiled that smile that lit up the whole world even at midday, and Owen smiled back, and they were going to be fine.


	28. Summer Nights Are Too Short

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And then, surprisingly, they had sex.

It was one thing when it was a tent, but another thing all together, Owen thought, that he could apparently break into Gavin’s bedroom in the castle with such ease. 

Admittedly, he wasn’t breaking in so much as just…going in, invited. But it was the middle of the night and he had to sneak there, so he counted it as breaking in. Gavin’s rooms were on the second floor of the palace, but he had a balcony with stairs that went down to the main grounds, which Owen just sort of walked up to get to the door. 

There were some guards around, but Owen guessed that they were more concerned with people trying to get over the wall than with people already inside. 

There was no way that wasn’t a huge security oversight, and danger to his sex life or no, Owen was going to have to say something about it to someone.

After he got laid.

Obviously.

The door was unlocked and even a little ajar in the summer heat, and so it was no trouble at all for Owen to just open it and go into Gavin’s rooms just like that. 

They were rich, which Owen had expected. A whole living area here, tables and desks and furniture of all kinds, doors leading off into other rooms. The one room Owen was in was bigger than the common room of his parents’ inn.

This was where Gavin had grown up.

Owen could have spent hours just looking around, just getting a sense of the space Gavin lived in, but there was lamplight coming from one room and headed that way, pushing open the door and leaning against the frame. Gavin was sitting on the edge of his huge bed, naked and hard, and he looked up at Owen and smiled. “About time you got here.”

“As ordered, your Highness.” Owen bowed. Gavin had whispered in his ear earlier today to tell him the balcony door would be unlocked. 

“I shouldn’t need to order you, honestly.” Gavin shook his head in mock disappointment. “I’d think you’d have broken down the doors by now to get to me.”

It wasn’t that Owen didn’t want to do that. “I figured that if I got arrested again it might put some tension in our relationship.” 

“You won’t get arrested. They don’t patrol the interior of the grounds that often, and my balcony is always open in the summer because it’s fucking hot.” Gavin stretched a little in the lamplight, and there was no way it was for any reason other than to bother Owen in a good way. “Consider that an open invitation.”

“I expect I’ll impose on your hospitality now and again.” Owen shrugged, came into the room, approaching the bed. “When I’ve got the time.” He stopped in front of Gavin, looking down at him. He was so beautiful. 

“You’d better make the time for me. I might get bored otherwise. I’ve got lots of other people I could call to sneak into my bed, you know.”

“Guess I’ll have to break all their legs, then.” Owen smiled, leaned down and gave Gavin a kiss, which was reciprocated, and Gavin held onto Owen’s head, kissing him gently, quietly. “You’re so hard,” he commented against Gavin’s mouth, running a hand down Gavin’s chest. “Just from waiting for me?”

“I decided I wouldn’t touch myself,” Gavin murmured. 

“You want me to do it instead?”

“Sure, I guess.” The breathiness of Gavin’s voice took away from the nonchalance a little. “Take your clothes off first.”

“Yes, your Highness.” Owen stood, made a nice little show of slowly taking off his shirt, slowly stepping out of his boots, stretching a bit, very, very slowly undoing the laces on his pants and letting them fall, fiddling with the hem of his smallclothes for a bit before finally taking them off, letting his erection spring out. 

“Could watch you do that all day and not get bored.” Gavin’s voice had gone all low. Predatory. He was watching Owen, just watching him in the lamplight. “You’re so perfect, Owen.”

“Look who’s talking.” Owen got down on his knees, in between Gavin’s legs, one hand on either knee. 

“See? Who else in the world looks like that, talks that smooth, can fight a dragon _and_ is about to give me head? The best.”

“Who said that was what I was going to do?” Owen asked, teasing. He kissed Gavin’s thigh. 

“Oh, please. Coy isn’t a game either of us is good at, Owen.”

“I guess not.” Gavin wasn’t wrong. Still, Owen kissed him again, and then again, and then gave him a little bite, enough to leave a mark. Gavin hissed down at him, but Owen kept going, kissing up the thigh, rubbing Gavin’s other thigh with his hand, getting closer and closer but not actually touching Gavin where he wanted it, not yet.

“God…Owen…” Gavin was slowly coming undone already, and Owen could feel it in the way his muscles were tensing. “I’m going to…”

“Not before I get there,” Owen whispered.

“Get there faster.”

Owen smiled, didn’t pick up his pace. Eventually he got there, though, and gave Gavin a nice kiss right underneath, just for the pitiful little noise he knew he’d get. He paused for a moment to take in the smell. Gavin wasn’t the muskiest guy out there, but the heat helped with that a little even if he did mostly still smelled like soap. Then he kissed Gavin’s tight sac, before taking it into his mouth for a good long moment, sucking and playing with the balls on his tongue, listening to Gavin moan and feeling him writhe. 

Finally he let those slide out of his mouth and made his was way up, giving Gavin’s shaft a few kisses on the way there, before planting one right on the tip of the swollen head, the parting his lips to slide all the way down Gavin, as far as he could go all at once. “Oh, fuck, Owen…”

Owen didn’t give Gavin time to rest or catch his breath, working with his tongue up and down Gavin’s length, holding Gavin by the hips now to keep him in place. Sure enough, it wasn’t long at all before Gavin tensed again, threw back his head and filled Owen’s mouth with his sharp flavour. 

Owen swallowed it all, cleaning Gavin off with his tongue, before pulling off. 

“God, I love you.” Gavin dropped down from the bed, onto his knees in front of Owen, and kissed him again, less gently this time, invading Owen’s mouth with his tongue. “I love you.” He broke off to say before going under again. “I love you.” A minute later.

“I love you too.” Owen said the next time Gavin broke for air, and this time when Gavin started kissing him again, it came with a hand around Owen’s cock, or both of theirs really, pressing them together. 

Gavin started thrusting his hips as he touched them both, still breaking apart every few seconds. “I love you.”

“I love you,” Owen told him next time, as Gavin’s thrusts got more aggressive.

“I love you,” Gavin told him, as Owen started to tremble.

“I love you,” Owen said, as he came, hard, his cry swallowed up by Gavin’s mouth. 

“I love you,” Gavin said softly when they broke apart again. He was still touching them both. 

“I love you,” Owen promised in a pant, and then Gavin tensed and came in between them as well, and they both collapsed a little, holding on to each other and breathing.

They lay there for a minute, panting, catching their breath, listening to each other, being together. “Okay,” Gavin said after a moment of recovery. “Now that we’ve established that, let’s go on the bed.”

“I’m always up for anything that happens in a bed.” Owen nodded, which was true—he was still hard.

They helped each other up and managed to climb into the bed, collapsing in a pile there. Gavin smiled and kissed Owen on the chin. “I want to do you from behind.”

“Your wish is my command.” Owen rolled over, grabbing a pillow to put under his chest. Staining Gavin’s expensive sheets with the cum that was on his chest, but oh well. 

Rather than climbing right onto him, Gavin got down in between Owen’s legs, parting them with his hands and leaning in. And he got in there, working around Owen’s entrance with his tongue, probing and finally going in, all while Owen, surprised, gripped his pillow firmly and tried not to explode on the spot. 

It didn’t last very long, but Owen didn’t think he’d soon forget the idea of Gavin’s tongue, even as it was replaced with the much more familiar fingers to stretch him out for something bigger and better. 

By the time Gavin finally did crawl up Owen’s back to position himself, Owen was already a panting mess. “Guess I deserved that.” 

“Yeah, that’ll teach you.” Gavin sounded breathless too as he lined himself up with Owen’s hole. “Bet you’ll think twice before teasing me like that again.”

Owen hadn’t actually meant to say that aloud, but he went along with it. “Yeah, I’ll make sure to tease you even more next time.”

“Good,” was all Gavin said, sliding inside Owen now.

Owen couldn’t help the little noise he made. “Gavin…”

“Going to do you really slow,” Gavin muttered, taking his time getting in there properly. “We’re always so…rough, and fast and hard. Thought it might be nice to go slow just once.”

“Yeah.” It was pretty damn nice so far, Owen had to admit. Just having Gavin inside him was always nice, a reminder that his life was good. 

The only thing, Owen soon realized, was that on his stomach like this he couldn’t touch Gavin at all. Gavin’s hands were everywhere, all up and down his back, his arms, his sides, in his hair, but Owen was limited to the blankets and pillows. It was driving him crazy, Gavin all over him, inside him, able to touch and feel and kiss and caress, and Owen couldn’t reciprocate at all. Gavin’s hands were wonderful on him, they made him feel so strong and whole, and he wanted, so badly wanted to make Gavin feel that way too.

The bite was sudden, and almost hard enough to draw blood, and when it came, Owen did too, giving an unexpected shout as he shot into the clump of bedding underneath him. Gavin paused, let him shoot, and they lay there breathing for a few minutes before he started up again. 

“Wish I could touch you,” Owen told him, moving in tune with Gavin’s gentle thrusts.

“If you could,” Gavin panted, “we’d have already finished. I can’t be patient when you’re touching me. You drive me too crazy.”

“Me too,” Owen whispered, as Gavin just kept going. “Me too, Gavin.”

Gavin’s hand crept up then, came to rest on Owen’s, grabbing it and interlacing their fingers. The other hand worked its way around Owen’s middle, holding him as Gavin buried his face between Owen’s shoulder blades. “Owen…”

“Gavin…” With the thrusts, Owen was rubbing against the sheets, the nicely lubricated spot he’d made before. It didn’t matter that he was sensitive, what mattered was that he was with Gavin, and that was enough to start pushing him closer to the edge again. 

“Gavin!” This time when Owen came it was with a shudder that ran through his whole body.

Still, Gavin kept going slowly, not finished. He kept fucking Owen, kept loving Owen, for a good few minutes after that before his grip on Owen’s hand tightened. “Owen!” And he came inside Owen, filling him with a heat that the summer air could never match. 

They lay still after that, Gavin on Owen’s back, still planted inside him. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Owen swore. “Forever.”

“Forever.” Gavin let out a long sigh. “Stay here tonight.”

“Okay.” Servants would find them in the morning. Word would get out. Gavin’s parents were going to find out that they’d slept together. Owen didn’t care. “It’s hard to sleep without you, you know.”

“Yeah. Owen?”

“Yeah?”

“Remember before? When I said you had an open invitation?”

“I remember.” One he planned to make use of.

“It’s not. An invitation, I mean. It’s my bed. And that means it’s your bed too. You don’t need to be invited in.” 

Owen smiled at that, his heart warming. “Thanks. As much fun as playing rogue is, it’d be nice to get past that part of the relationship and go to the part where we’re just together.”

“Agreed. Let’s just do that. Screw what my parents say.”

“Isn’t that treason?”

“Whatever. I’d commit treason for you. I’d burn the whole kingdom down for you, Owen.”

“Me too. Me too, Gavin. I’d take on the whole world.” He would. Owen meant that. 

“It’s a good thing we’re such good people, then.” Gavin muttered, shifting a little. He was planning to sleep like that, apparently. “The world will be safe. I promise I’ll never ask you to burn it down for me.”

That didn’t mean Owen wouldn’t. “I promise I’ll never ask you to commit treason.”

“Good. I’d hate to disappoint my parents like that.”

Anymore than he already had, but Owen didn’t want to ruin the mood by adding that. 

“Can’t decide if I want to go again or not,” Gavin mused, resting his head on Owen’s shoulder. 

“I’m game either way.”

“Surprise.” Owen could feel Gavin smiling. “Let’s just…lay here for a bit. And see how we feel.”

“I love you.” That was how Owen felt.

“I love you too, Owen,” Gavin told him, squeezing his hand. Owen just wanted to stay like that forever. Or at least all night.


	29. Experience Really Is King

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think several people have been anticipating this one. :)

The fortress loomed as they approached it. Fortresses, Owen thought, always loomed. That was pretty much what they were supposed to do. He couldn’t help but fidget a little as they approached, fingers already twitching for his sword. He took calming breaths, not wanting to get too worked up yet.

“You look like a kid at a chocolatier’s,” Gavin teased, poking Owen in the arm.

Owen looked away from the fortress, sending Gavin a grin. “It’s exciting. I’ve been looking forward to this.”

“Yes, I know.” Gavin smiled as well, glancing at the fortress. “I admit that I’m also looking forward to watching you mop the floor with half the order.”

“Only half?” Owen smirked now, folding his arms in front of himself. “You lack confidence in me, your Highness.”

“Hm.” Gavin looked over at Gabrielle in front of them, walking with Aria and Cleo, and hooked an arm around Owen’s, getting on his toes to whisper in Owen’s ear. “Do you want some incentive?”

“Well, I’m not going to say no.” Of course he wasn’t, since it was pretty clear what Gavin meant by ‘incentive.’ 

“How about…” Gavin ran a finger down Owen’s cheek. “A day of free blow jobs for everyone you beat?”

“Hm,” Owen said, taking Gavin in his arms now. “That seems to be your go-to incentive.”

“You saying you don’t like it?”

“Listen to the crazy things coming out of your mouth.”

“They wouldn’t be able to if it was full of your cock,” Gavin said, looking at him with innocent eyes. “And if you manage to be undefeated at the end of the day, maybe I’ll let you top for a week.”

Now that was incentive. “You have that much confidence that I’m going to lose?” 

“I have that much confidence that you won’t, you dipshit.”

“For heaven’s sake.” Owen hadn’t noticed Gabrielle turn around, and now she stomped over to them, put a hand on Gavin’s shoulder. “Stop offering Owen sexual favours for beating up knights. Show some decorum, Gavin.”

“Decorum is for people trying to hide their lack of personality. And there’s no possible way you could have heard that,” Gavin protested, even as he separated from Owen with a sheepish grin on his face, and even as Owen just tried to pretend the boner Gavin had left him with wasn’t there. 

“I’ve known you both long enough.” Gabrielle rolled her eyes, and smacked Owen on the arm. 

“Ow.”

“I already regret this. Let’s go inside.”

Gavin shook his head, but gave Owen a shove to get him going, winking as he did. 

Owen’s boner had flagged by the time they passed through the gates of the fortress, into the wide courtyard in front of the structure proper, which obviously served as a training ground. Owen might have recognized that either way, but all of the knights scattered around sparring or doing weapon drills were a bit of a hint.

There was an older man in black armour who was watching over everything in the courtyard with a practiced eye, and Gabrielle left the rest of them at the gates to go speak with him. Aria clapped Owen on the shoulder. “You ready to test our theory?”

“Oh, yeah.” Owen smiled, watching the knights. He saw Evan and Ashton pause in a spar to wave at him, and waved back. “I hope they didn’t warn their friends about us.”

Knowing how competitive they were, probably not. 

“I’m sure they didn’t. I’ll probably just watch today. Let you have fun.”

Owen glanced at her. “Let them warm up on me and find out how outclassed they are later?”

“Something like that. Plus I think Gabrielle’s got tea set up over there for Gavin.”

She pointed, and sure enough, there was a small table under a little canopy set up. Gavin took Owen’s hand, kissed him on the cheek and smiled. “I’ll be keeping count,” he said, before heading over there. 

“Alright, listen up!” The man Gabrielle had been speaking to shouted suddenly, getting everyone’s attention. “Sir Gabrielle’s brought some of her friends for us to train with today. Says she thinks we can learn from each other. And we’ve got Prince Gavin as a guest to observe, so try to comport yourselves like knights, would you?”

Gabrielle rejoined them as the squires training in the yards—Owen didn’t see many people older than him—started muttering to one another. “He doesn’t think much of the idea. Prove him wrong, will you?”

“Can do, sir.” Owen saluted Gabrielle, which just made her smack him again. 

“Weapons are over there.” She pointed at a rack of practice swords. Owen had worn his leather armour, which is what everyone in the fortress had on as well, so he trotted over to the rack and went about finding a blunt sword that he liked. 

It took him a minute and by the time he did, the training yard had filled up some, a lot of older knights now arriving to watch, or maybe to participate. Owen made his way to the centre of the yard, looking around at all of them, playing off his excitement as nerves. It never hurt to be underestimated. 

“About time,” The master-at-arms growled, shaking his head. “Okay, which one of you wants to go first?”

“I’ll go.” A fairly tall squire with blonde hair that needed trimming stepped out from the group. A ring slowly formed around them. 

Owen watched the squire as they both stretched out their arms. He looked annoyed that his day had been interrupted. Probably felt like he was having his time wasted. He was watching Owen move, sizing him up just like Owen was doing to him. He had long arms, which meant a long reach. He didn’t look impressed by whatever he was seeing in Owen. 

“What’s your name?” Owen asked him, raising his sword. 

The squire looked for a moment like he might not answer, but he finished his stretches and looked Owen in the eye. “Edwin.”

“Hi, Edwin.” Owen nodded. “I’m Owen. Sorry for this.”

Edwin made a bit of a face. “You asked for this. Don’t expect me to go easy on you.”

“Of course not.” Owen smiled now. “Where’s the point in that?” 

“Whenever you two are ready,” The master-at-arms called out, impatient. 

With a glance over his shoulder, Edwin raised his sword. Owen took a fighting stance. And didn’t move. 

They stood for just a second like that, watching each other, before Edwin smirked and charged forward, feinting to the left. Owen pretended to raise his sword to block, keeping an eye on Edwin’s feet as he converted into a lunge at Owen’s leg. Owen just turned to the right, reaching down and grabbing the back of Edwin’s armour and bringing up his knee into Edwin’s ribcage. Edwin fell to the ground as Owen lowered his leg, taking deep breaths. Edwin’s sword landed limply in the dust. 

For posterity, Owen tapped the back of Edwin’s neck with his sword before pulling back. “You okay?” He hadn’t kneed him that hard. He could hear the assembled knights muttering again, and glanced up at Gavin, who held up one finger. 

Edwin just sort of looked up at Owen with a little bit of disgust. Well, Owen would be a little disgusted with himself too if he’d lost that soundly after being so sure he couldn’t. Edwin considered Owen’s hand for a long second before finally taking it and pulling himself up. “Anyone can win with in a low blow like that,” he grumbled.

“But I’m the only one who did.” Owen reminded him. Edwin’s movements had been very natural, fluid. He’d be good someday. “You want to try again?”

Before Edwin could answer, the master-at-arms called out again. “Who’s next, then?” He sounded a little surprised, at least. 

“I’ll go.” A skinny squire with a serious expression and a round nose stepped into the circle. “Someone’s got to avenge poor Edwin.”

“Fuck off, Ben,” Edwin muttered, quietly enough that Owen doubted anyone else heard. He moved away, going to stand beside a knight who had the same colouring and proportion as his. Their faces were a little different, but there was enough similarity that Owen figured they must be related. 

Owen turned his attention on Ben, who was giving him a serious look-over. “Can’t tell if you’re better than you look or if you just got lucky.”

“Well.” Owen raised his sword again. “There’s only one way for you to find out.” 

Ben went down just as quickly as Edwin, and after him followed a freckle-faced squire named Ty, a stick-thin girl named Holly who was better than all the others so far, a kid taller than Owen named Archie who Owen tripped, a tired-looking guy named Rudy, and a bunch of others. By the time Owen was done with the last squire, the deceptively fast Leo, a lot of the muttering in the training yard had died down. 

Owen was sweating, but only because it was hot. 

“I wouldn’t feel too bad,” Warren told the other squires, calmly as though he didn’t have a new bruise on his lower back from Owen’s boot. “This is pretty normal.”

“You could have warned us,” a short squire called Stuart snapped at him.

“Where’s the fun in that, though?” Evan teased. “Nobody warned us.” 

“Can I fight the knights now?” Owen asked the master-at-arms politely, figuring there wasn’t much point in pretending not to be confident anymore and instead lapsing into a cockiness that came a lot more naturally than it should have. Over at the table, Gavin was trying hard not to laugh and Gabrielle’s eyes were about to fall out of her head from rolling them so much. “Unless you want me to help you train these guys. I can start telling them what they’re doing wrong.”

Mostly it was just that they were all too by the book. That was no way to survive.

The master-at-arms gave Owen a measuring look, as if considering the offer. “Seems like we’ll have to field someone more experienced if we’re to retain any dignity, lad.”

“I wouldn’t feel too bad about it,” Owen advised. “It’s just that once you’ve fought a dragon and a few trolls, a guy with a sword’s not that big a deal, you know?”

Owen had a feeling that the master-at-arms really wanted to smile, but he kept a stoic expression on his face. Probably he knew someone picking a fight when he saw one. “Anyone want to volunteer to take our friend down a few pegs?”

It looked like Owen had gone from being Gabrielle’s friend to being all of their friend. That was nice. 

“I’ll do it.” A dull-eyed, darker man with a good five years on Owen stepped forward, stretching as he went. He was looking at Owen like Owen was food. “Someone needs to put our sellsword in his place. On the ground.”

He didn’t introduce himself, but someone yelled “Get him, Wyatt!” 

Owen just smiled at him.

It went without saying that Wyatt was better than any of the squires so far, enough so that Owen had to make a legitimate effort. He, it seemed, had actual experience fighting people, and not totally in the honourable, knightly way that Owen had expected. Made Owen wonder what kind of life he’d had before joining the order, but he didn’t wonder for long. Wyatt moved back and forth as he fought, striking at Owen from both sides quickly. It was when Wyatt shifted and brought his knee up to go in between Owen’s legs that he decided it was in his best interests not to let this go on. Owen struck downwards with his sword, hitting Wyatt on the knee before it could get anywhere, reaching out and grabbing Wyatt’s sword arm in his free hand as he did, and propelling himself forward for a headbutt to Wyatt’s chin that had him staggering back. Owen charged a few steps, pushed Wyatt back until he overbalanced and fell, and then he put a foot on Wyatt’s chest, sword at his throat. “You look good down there, Sir Wyatt,” he said, smiling. “On the ground.”

“Oh, fuck you,” Wyatt said, but he chuckled. “Guess I had that one coming.” His lip was bleeding.

Owen helped him up, and he gave a mock salute before moving off. He was replaced quickly by another young knight, who didn’t give his name either and who Owen dealt with just as readily. He could practically hear Gabrielle sighing at the table.

Next up was Edwin’s knight, also blonde and tall. He smiled amiably and raised his practice sword.

Owen did the same. “Do squires all lose their names when they get anointed?” he asked. 

“I’m Erik,” the knight said, bowing his head. 

“Nice to meet you, Sir Erik.”

“You as well. I’m afraid duty binds me to avenge my poor squire’s honour.”

“Duty and honour in the same sentence?” Owen asked. “Sounds serious. Unfortunately, I’m under orders to beat all of you.”

“Someday somebody’s going to punch that cocky smile right off your head,” Erik warned Owen, moving to a proper fighting stance.

Owen did as well, nodding. “Probably.” Instead of waiting for Erik to attack him, Owen struck quickly, surprising Erik and forcing him to take a step back. 

Erik quickly recovered and returned Owen’s assault with his own, and the two of them moved in a circle for a minute. Erik was good, in a way that Owen knew came from a lot of practice. For a barely noticeable second, Owen let himself glance to the left before going low for Erik’s knees. Erik was clever enough to move to block from the left, but that left him unprepared for Owen leaping to the right, landing on one foot and grabbing Erik’s free hand as he did, pulling the knight forward as Owen span behind him, ending with his sword neatly on Erik’s shoulder. “Looks like it’s not going to be you, at least not today.” 

For a moment Erik looked at Owen with a hard look that seemed totally out of place on his face, but then he smiled. “Guess not. Maybe you’ll give me another chance.” 

“If they’ll let me in the door after this.” Owen removed his sword, took a step back. 

Erik turned, offered his hand. “I think Sir Simon is unimpressed enough with his charges’ performance today. He’ll want to prove that he’s trained us all better than this.”

Glancing at the master-at-arms, Owen saw the annoyance in his eyes and wondered if he should apologize for being responsible for the tongue lashing the order was going to be getting later. 

He decided not to. It wasn’t his fault he was better than them.

“Well, if he wants to prove it that badly, I’m happy to let him try.” Owen smiled that cocky smiled again, taking Erik’s hand and shaking it. 

Erik moved off and another knight took his place. Owen beat her too, and the next bit of time went like that. Though Owen had to admit he was having a harder time with the actual knights than he had been with the squires, they were all not much older than him and not one of them was good enough to do more than land a few hits on him. 

That changed all at once after several bouts. Owen was wiping his forehead on the back of his sleeve when everything when quiet, and when he looked up, there was no young knight standing in front of him. Instead it was Sir Devin, training sword held loosely in one hand. 

“Oh, I guess my fun’s over.” Owen tried not to tense. “The babysitter’s here.”

“I think you’ve spent enough time making an embarrassment of the order, lad,” Devin told him with a nod. “Someone’s got to show these boys and girls that you’re not invincible.”

“Not invincible,” Owen agreed, widening his stance a little. “Just dauntless.”

“Not a bad quality. At the ready, Owen.”

“Right.” 

He and Devin had sparred a few times on the road here. Owen hadn’t won once. Maybe this time would be different, but since he was already tired from fighting so many others, he had his doubts.

Owen should have known better than to have doubts—that was what ensured that he wasn’t going to win. He felt evenly matched with Devin for a good few minutes, the two of them moving back and forth, not letting the other in and not giving any ground, and Owen got so into the flow of the fight that when Devin took a step back, Owen followed him and that was the end of that. The first strike hit pretty harmlessly on his shoulder, and Owen tried to take advantage of the gap in Devin’s defence that caused, but Devin was always faster than Owen remembered, and his sword was knocked away before he found a blunted practice point his throat. 

“Yield, lad.”

Owen shrugged and put his hands up. “Someday I’ll beat you.”

“Just keep telling yourself that, son.” Devin was smiling, though, and he put his sword away, turning to the assembled knights. “Honestly, you’re all a disgrace. Be bloody grateful that he came in peace or you’d all be dead. You’re knights, aren’t you? Act like it!” And he strode off, passing off his sword to someone else as he went and leaving a lot of chagrined knights in his wake. 

Gabrielle had approached the master-at-arms. “I trust my point is made.”

“Aye. Owen.” Sir Simon beckoned him over. Owen trotted over to join them, noticing Gavin getting up as well. “Seems the order could use your skills. You’ll report here three days a week to train with the squires and the younger knights.” 

“And the older knights,” Owen added.

Simon raised an eyebrow. “I think Devin’s just demonstrated that they don’t need the practice.”

“No, but I do.” Owen spread his hands. “Your squires aren’t the only ones who need to get better.” 

Sir Simon considered that for a moment, before nodding. “A desire to better yourself is admirable. Very well, I’m sure we can arrange it.” 

“Thank you, sir.” Owen grinned. “I’m honoured. I wanted to be a knight, you know.”

“You’ve the combat talent for it,” Simon admitted. “If not, perhaps, the temperament. You’d do well in the school if you want to enroll.”

“No thanks.” Owen was giddy to have the offer, but he didn’t need it. “I got a better offer.”

“You’re insufferable,” Gabrielle muttered. “Your better offer is waiting to talk to you.”

Owen turned, and sure enough Gavin was standing right behind him, and pulled Owen away a bit, leaning up for a kiss. “You’re all sweaty,” he mumbled, worrying at his lip.

“You’re not sweaty enough,” Owen countered, bringing Gavin’s hand up and kissing the back of it.

“We’ll fix that later. I counted twenty-seven. That’s almost an entire month.” Now Gavin licked his lips, and it was definitely on purpose. He smiled. “Too bad you couldn’t go undefeated.”

“Your loss.” Owen squeezed Gavin’s hand. 

“Yes, I will be bereft without your cock inside me, Owen, just sad and at a loss.”

“Good thing you’ll have it in your mouth plenty.”

“Good thing.” 

“Keep counting, maybe I can beat more of them before we go, get it to a round thirty.” Owen was sure there were three more people somewhere in this fortress he could beat.

“Maybe.” Gavin sounded uncertain, and he tilted his head a little, looking over Owen’s shoulder. “Though you might not say that if you take a look and see who they’ve lined up as your next opponent.”

Owen did, looking where Gavin was. 

Gabrielle was standing there, waiting with a practice sword.

Owen narrowed his eyes. “You know, I like your sister, but she doesn’t need to cockblock me like this.”

“Yeah, doesn’t she know that you need more than twenty-seven days of free blow jobs?” Gavin shook his head sadly. “You should go over and tell her.” 

“Not in so many words, maybe.”

“Coward.”

“I like my un-castrated state almost as much as you do.”

“Fine, fine.” Gavin sighed, patted Owen on the back. “Alright, go and fight more people, Dauntless Owen.” Gavin managed to make it sound like an insult that time. “I’ll keep watching. And counting.”

“Can do, boss.” Owen gave a lopsided smile. “A kiss for good luck, maybe?”

Gavin laughed, leaned in for another kiss, deeper this time, going on for a moment. “If you lose to my sister, I’m going to spank you,” he whispered, before giving Owen a shove to get him moving. 

Owen stumbled over to the ring, ignoring a few sniggers from the assembled knights. Gabrielle waited patiently to be ready. “And what did my darling brother promise you if you beat me?” she asked, as Owen raised his sword.

“Do you really want to know?”

“No,” Gabrielle asserted. “Let’s just fight. I want to see if you’re really all you’re cracked up to be.”

“And I want to see if your castle training was really that impressive or if everyone’s just been too afraid to hit you because you’re the princess.”

“Just for that I’m going to break you in half.” 

Sir Simon called for them to start. Gabrielle moved fast. Owen blocked and moved in for a counterstrike. They fought for a good ten minutes.

Owen got spanked that night.


	30. It’s a Good Idea to Make Friends with People You Have Things in Common with

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You'd think I might have done something bigger for chapter thirty, but no. Normal chapter. 
> 
> Wait until chapter forty for the something bigger.

Bootlaces were one of those things, Owen thought, that should just _work_. It was just a little piece of string, why should he have to think about it basically ever? And yet here he was, sitting in the grass, trying to make them not be in the huge knot that they had somehow gotten themselves into. 

Somehow, he knew this was Gavin’s doing. 

“You having some trouble there?”

Owen looked up, disarming smile in place, to see a dark southerner approaching him. “Manual dexterity training,” he said. 

“Seems to be going well.” The southerner sat in front of him on the grass, crosslegged. He was slender, dark haired and bright eyed, with long hands.

“You’re Prince Franz’s retainer.” Owen didn’t think they’d been introduced, but he’d seen this guy around. Gavin’s tune on Franz had changed a little since they’d gone out of the city to shoot arrows together, but they weren’t close enough that Owen knew everything about the southern prince yet.

“Boey. You’re Prince Gavin’s knight.” 

“Owen. I’m a sellsword.” 

“Who has sold his sword permanently to his prince, as I understand.”

Owen looked at Boey for a minute, trying to figure out if he was making fun or not. It didn’t sound like it. “Yeah.”

Boey nodded, looking at Owen with a contemplative look that Owen wasn’t sure he liked. “Tell me about him,” he said. 

“Yeah, no.” Owen shook his head. “Find another way to spy on him for your prince. You’re not getting it from me.” But Gavin would get this conversation from him, that was for sure. 

Now Boey smiled. “Good. Good answer.” 

Owen wasn’t interested in whatever this was. He glanced up at Boey. “I’m no good at political junk. So I’m not playing. Go find another noble to play with.”

“Nobles are insufferable, though,” Boey told him, leaning back on his hands. “I was looking forward to talking to another normal person.”

Now Owen looked at him, sizing Boey up. He looked noble to Owen. “Probably shouldn’t have opened by threatening Gavin, then.” 

“I only asked you to tell me about him.”

“I’m not stupid.”

Boey regarded him for a long time while Owen worked on his bootlaces, the knot not getting any looser. “Can you explain why you felt like I was threatening him?”

Owen sighed. “Gavin and Franz magically started getting along two days ago after not liking each other for weeks. That doesn’t mean anything except that they’re pretending to get along so nobody will think they’re fighting. Franz needs Gavin to be on his side, partially because that’s the fastest way to get Gabrielle to like him, but also because everyone likes Gavin, and if they’re fighting, everyone is going to take Gavin’s side. He doesn’t want to be one of those kings who everyone hates, and he thinks Gavin is childish and silly because he’s brought home an unwashed sellsword and claims to be in love with him. So he needs something that he can use to keep Gavin on his side if Gavin decides to do something childish like pick a fight because he’s mad at someone else. You want to know about Gavin to help come up with anything that your prince can use to do that, and I’m just a dumb guy with a sword, so I’m the easiest one to get that information from.” 

Boey blinked, smile fading into thoughtful contemplation as Owen talked. “Well, you’re right. You’re not stupid.”

“Stupid sellswords die.” Owen was sure it was a lot more complicated than what he’d said, but it all seemed pretty straightforward to him. “I’ve made my life about protecting Gavin for the last year. I’m not going to stop doing that just because we’re not fighting trolls anymore.”

Boey was silent for a long time after that, watching Owen work at the knot. “You really love him, don’t you?” he asked, quietly, not looking at Owen. 

“Yeah, I do.” Finally getting some leeway on the knot, Owen started taking it apart. 

Boey nodded. “From what I hear, he loves you too. And I can see why.” 

“You’ve seen me fail to untie a knot and get pissy with you.” Owen told him. “Wait until you see me kill a dragon before you get too impressed.”

Boey laughed now. “Fair enough. My parents are fur merchants. In Kyaine it’s custom for noble children to have companions from among the common people, so I ended up being Franz’s retainer. I’ve been with him since I was seven years old.” He looked away for a minute. 

“Even when he came all the way up here,” Owen ventured. That was a long way to come. 

“Even then. I…I try to protect him too, the same way that you protect Gavin. He’s a good person, and he’ll be a good king. I want to help him do that. But that makes it really hard to trust anyone. So when Franz comes back from shooting and tells me he and Gavin are friends now, I can’t help but be suspicious, you know? Just like when Franz’s servant comes and asks you about Gavin, you can’t help but be suspicious.”

“Yeah.” Owen nodded, getting where Boey was coming from. “Well, for what it’s worth, Gavin likes Franz just fine from what he’s said to me.” Owen didn’t bother adding that Gavin wouldn’t lie to him. “He’s not the type to go around backstabbing people for no reason, you know?”

“I know. Neither is Franz, but it’s what constitutes a reason that worries me. And of course I’d say that, and of course you’d say that.”

“You’re giving me a headache.” There was one last tangle in the knot and then Owen would be free from this bullshit. 

“Welcome to the world of politics.” Boey sounded tired to Owen. 

Owen looked up at him, watching his expression. “You love him, don’t you?”

It was brief, the way Boey tensed up. He covered it really well. “He’s going to marry Gabrielle.” 

That wasn’t what Owen had asked, and he found himself feeling bad for Boey. “It’s okay, I won’t tell anyone,” he promised. There was no reason to make someone else miserable. And Boey was the first person who wasn’t acting all weird about Owen being in love with Gavin. 

“I wish that didn’t make me suspicious.” Boey sighed, tugging at some grass.

“Hey.” Owen worked out the last of the knot with a little bit of triumph, and he set about tying the boot properly. “If your prince and mine are going to be friends, I don’t see why we can’t be friends too. I don’t mind if you want to be suspicious of me—I travelled with Gabrielle for weeks when she wasn’t convinced I hadn’t carried Gavin off and ravished him.” 

Boey smiled. “That would be nice.”

“We normal people have to stick together, right?” Owen grinned, finished lacing up his boot. He offered Boey a hand. “We can protect them together.” 

Boey considered the hand for a minute, before nodding and clasping it in his own. “I’d like that. Nice to meet you, Owen.”

“You too, Boey.” They shook, and Owen leaned back on the grass. “Tell me how you met yours and I’ll tell you how I met mine.”


	31. It Takes More Than Family Interference to Keep Apart People Who Were Meant to Be

“We could swim in there,” Owen muttered, looking a little wistfully down into the moat. 

“There are spikes at the bottom,” Gavin said, leaning in and putting his head on Owen’s shoulder. 

“That’s stupid.”

“I don’t think you know what a moat is for.”

Owen didn’t care what a moat was for. “It’s so hot.”

“Take off your shirt.”

“And be stabbed by all the guards?”

Gavin chuckled. “I’m sure they understand the concept of heat.”

“You first.” Owen wasn’t risking it. Even the fact that they were together right now, dipping bare feet in the castle moat, was probably arousing suspicion. Gavin had apparently decided to just totally ignore any orders he was under to stay away from Owen.

Not that Owen was complaining. 

“Fine.” Gavin leaned away, reached down and took off his shirt, set it aside. “Happy?”

“I’m always happy when you wear less clothes,” Owen told him, bumping shoulders before taking off his own shirt. It didn’t help much. “Now we’re just going to get sunburnt.”

“We should probably go inside soon.” Gavin nodded. “Not that it’s any cooler in there.” A long sigh. “If we were still out adventuring, we could just strip off and jump in the nearest river.”

“That would be awesome.”

“Do you miss it?” Gavin asked. “Being out there, I mean? Good deeds and monster hunting and all that?”

Owen glanced at Gavin, wondering where that was coming from. “Yeah,” he admitted. “But if I were out there doing that without you, I’d miss you a lot more. I’m happy wherever you are.”

“Me too. I just feel like I dragged you here where you don’t want to be. If you wanted, you could go without me and…”

“Gavin,” Owen said, hand on Gavin’s thigh. “I want to be where you are.” Gavin suggesting he leave was just silly and they both knew it. 

“Me too.” Gavin smiled, shook his head clear. “Sorry. We’ll get out there again someday. You’ve got a lot more adventuring to do if you’re going to make that name for yourself.” 

“And I’ll need you to help me,” Owen reminded him.

“Damn right you will.” Gavin punched Owen’s shoulder. “Just got to convince my parents that we’re adults who can make our own decisions and then we can get out there. I’m sure there are dragons or evil wizards or something out there, just waiting for you stick your sword in them.” He grinned, reached down at grabbed Owen between the legs. “Not this one. You’re only allowed to stick this one in me.”

Owen flinched, tried to squirm away. But not that hard, because it wasn’t like he wanted Gavin to _stop_ touching him. “I’ll try to remember that. Little sword goes in dragon, big sword goes in Gavin.”

“You got it backwards there, love.”

“No.” It was Owen’s turn to grin. “I don’t.”

“I’ve seen both up close and personal,” Gavin reminded him. 

“You’re the one who wanted to top the first time because you were intimidated by how big I was.”

“‘Intimidated’ isn’t the word I’d use.”

“I read between the lines.”

Gavin gave him a long look, and then a smirk. And he gave Owen a hard squeeze, leaning in and kissing him on the cheek. “You’re right, Owen. You’re just too big. I’m intimidated by your overwhelming girth. Alas, I can never allow it to penetrate my noble flesh again, lest I be torn asunder.”

“You know you’re outside where people can hear you, right?”

Owen looked over his shoulder at a woman’s voice. A very pretty blonde lady with a face framed by curls was looking down at them, hands on her hips. She looked a little like Gavin.

“Gloria,” Gavin said, hand moving to Owen’s thigh but no farther. “Where have you been hiding all this time?” He turned to Owen. “My cousin.”

Owen nodded. Gavin had mentioned one to him. “Nice to meet you.”

“You too.” She sat down, moving in a way that made Owen certain she was dangerous. “Since Gavin’s a shit cousin and can’t find the time to introduce us, I figured I’d come over here myself.” She smirked. “Maybe I should have waited five more minutes, see how much of a show you two were about to put on.”

“We weren’t,” Gavin lied, badly. “Sorry, I’ve been a bit distracted.”

“Yes, so I hear. They’re not budging on the issue of you sleeping with a sellsword. No offense, Owen.”

“It’s fine.” It wasn’t like Owen didn’t know about this.

“No, but he’s been sleeping in my bed the last while and they haven’t stopped us.” Owen nodded as Gavin said that. The king and queen definitely knew, or at least he assumed they did—servants walked in on them nearly every morning and there was no way they didn’t gossip. “I think we have an unspoken compromise. At least for now.”

“You think it’ll last?”

Gavin shrugged. “Owen has a way of winning people over.”

“He doesn’t look like much,” Gloria said, looking at Owen now. “I mean, he’s easy to look at, but…”

“I’m sitting right here.”

“Are you?” Gloria smiled. “I didn’t notice.”

“Mine.” Gavin’s hand tightened on Owen’s thigh. “Don’t.”

“I’m not.”

“Liar.”

“Fine.” Gloria put her hands up, still smiling. “I’m not poaching him.”

“I’m not poachable,” Owen interrupted. 

“Good. Gavin’s too nice to castrate you if you wander, but I’d do it for him.”

Owen looked at Gavin, wondering what part of him was too nice to castrate someone. Gavin gave him a little smile. 

“Besides, I’m an engaged woman now. I can hardly go stealing someone else’s partner when I’m soon to have my own—that’d be greedy.”

The look on Gavin’s face was enough to tell Owen he hadn’t known that. Gavin looked at Gloria, confused. “When did that happen?”

“Just recently. I was approached by House Feestings and given an offer that made a lot of political sense.”

“You’re marrying Turner?” Owen didn’t know who that was, but obviously it was someone Gavin knew.

“Weird, isn’t it?” Gloria leaned back. “I’d always assumed it would be some guy I don’t know. Oh well. Turner’s pretty enough. And he’s not an asshole, so what more do I want? Speaking of which, your friends are all annoyed that you haven’t made time for them yet. Come spend time with everyone. Bring Owen. They all want to meet him.”

“I’m sure they do,” Gavin muttered with a sigh. Owen was suddenly a little unsure. Did he really want to meet all of Gavin’s noble friends? They were probably going to eat him. “Fine, fine.”

“Bit silly that you made time to go shooting with Franz but not to eat lunch with us.”

Gavin nodded, looking at Gloria. “What do you think of him?”

Gloria smiled. “He’s a bit of an idiot, but he’s also not an asshole. He’s prettier than Owen, so Gabi’s got you beat there.” 

“No.” Gavin leaned in and kissed Owen on the cheek. “She doesn’t.” 

“Love you too,” Owen said, smiling like a fool.

“Aw, it’s so sweet I could die.” Gloria rolled her eyes, got up. “I’ll leave you two alone. Just wanted to say hi, glad you didn’t get eaten by a sexually frustrated lizard.” 

“Thanks, Gloria. I had a sexually frustrated warrior to come save me from him.” 

“Lucky you,” Gloria said, while Owen felt himself overheating a little. Gavin wasn’t supposed to tell that part of the story to people. 

Gloria got up, leaned down and gave Gavin a hug. “See you around.” And she was off, heading towards the castle. 

“So that was my cousin,” Gavin said, after she’d gone. 

“She seems nice.”

“She is.”

“She’s not wrong—you shouldn’t be ignoring your friends.”

“I guess. I wonder what the hell is going on with that engagement.” Gavin sighed. “They’re going to eat you.”

“I can take it.” Owen really wasn’t sure if he could, but if he could fight a dragon, he could probably handle a few kids with fancy last names. 

“I know you can, big guy.” Gavin’s hand moved back to where it had been before. 

“Though you’re the only one who’s allowed to eat me.”

“Damn right. Speaking of which, you haven’t taken advantage of any of your free blowjob days yet. You losing your edge?”

Gavin could feel pretty clearly in Owen’s pants that he wasn’t losing his edge at all. “Just waiting for a day when we’re not going to have to spent the most of it apart.” He ran a finger up Gavin’s arm, then brushed his lips with a thumb. “Wouldn’t want to waste it.” 

“Very thoughtful of you.” Gavin palmed Owen harder through the pants that Owen increasingly wished he wasn’t wearing. “I think I can arrange a day where I don’t have any duties to see to. Probably on a day you don’t have to be at the fortress.”

“That’d be nice,” Owen told him, squirming a little where he sat. “Though I seem to remember you saying I’d never penetrate your noble self again.”

“That doesn’t sound like me.” 

“You’re right.” Owen was glad they were back to talking like sane people. “If you can manage to get us the time, there’s a specific wake-up call I’d like to have.” 

Gavin grinned, and suddenly Owen’s pants were unlaced. “I have a feeling that can be arranged. Think I might be out of practice. Maybe I’ll do a dry run now.”

“Trust me, it won’t be dry.”

“Good.”


	32. There’s No Point in Letting a Perfectly Good Day Get Ruined by Breakfast

Owen was dreaming about Gavin, which wasn’t unusual. They were chasing something blue when all of the sudden Gavin was on Owen’s horse with him, leaning down even though that was impossible, lips wrapping around Owen’s cock, and it made perfect sense as it was happening. 

The horse and the forest morphed away as Owen focused on Gavin and Gavin’s mouth, and how warm it was and Gavin’s tongue all up and down his length, and the little noises Gavin made as he blew him, and Owen squirmed and spasmed, shouting as he came down Gavin’s throat. “Fuck…”

He opened his eyes, and he was in Gavin’s bed, in Gavin’s bedroom, and he wasn’t sleeping anymore. But Gavin’s lips were still around Owen’s cock, which was the only part of the dream that had been worth remembering. Light was shining through the gap in the curtains, illuminating Gavin’s flushed cheeks. 

Owen realized he had his hand in Gavin’s hair and let go, letting him up. “Morning.” 

“Did you like your wake-up call?” Gavin asked, rubbing his head where Owen’s hand had been in his hair. It was all tousled and sticking in four different directions, and it made Owen want to do unspeakable things to him. 

“It was perfect.” Owen smiled. “Thanks.”

“It better have been. I got some practice in, since you didn’t fucking wake up the first time.”

“Are…you serious?”

“Yes. An hour ago I was down here blowing you all nice like you asked, and I figured you’d wake up at the end.” Gavin glared at him now. “You did for like two seconds. You said my name and then fell asleep again. Which was very cute, but I almost punched you in the balls.”

Owen felt laughter rising in his throat and tried to suppress it. “I’m glad you didn’t.” 

“Only because that would have been breaking my promise to wake you up with a blowjob.” Now Gavin hit him, but it was just a smack on the thigh. “Asshole.”

“Sorry.” Owen sat up, giving Gavin a kiss on the forehead. “I feel like this is just as bad for me as it was for you—I missed out on a blowjob, which sucks.” He paused. “So to speak.”

“You didn’t miss out on it. It still happened.”

“But I don’t remember it.” It seemed clear that Gavin didn’t get what a tragedy this was. “Here, look.” He gave Gavin a bit of a push, to encourage him to get down on his back. And Owen got down between Gavin’s legs and gave his erection a lick, then a suck, then went down on it all at once, taking it in his mouth as deeply as he could. Gavin grunted, fisting the sheets as Owen worked on him, and thrust upwards into Owen’s mouth. 

A moment later he was finished, and rewarded Owen with his load, which Owen swallowed fully. “See?” he said, pulling his head off and looking up at Gavin. “Imagine how upset you’d be if I did that and you didn’t even know.”

“True,” Gavin admitted, taking a deep breath as he sat up. “I’d always wonder what I missed out on.” 

“Exactly. I’ll be empty now, for the rest of my life, wondering what might have been.”

It was Gavin’s turn to laugh now. “I’ll just have to give you so many blowjobs you’ll remember today that you forget all about the one you forgot all about.” 

Owen sighed, hiding his smile. “If anyone is up to the task, I’m sure it’s you. You want to start now?” He was hard again, or still, and they said there was no time like the present. 

Gavin snorted, but pushed Owen back this time. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

“Maybe someday we’ll do the opposite of this—a day where you can blow me whenever you want,” Owen suggested, as Gavin took his cock in hand and started giving it little licks. 

“Don’t think I don’t see that for what it is,” Gavin muttered, around Owen. “Besides, you’d pass out by lunch.”

“A chance…I’m willing to…take.” Owen’s words were coming more slowly now that Gavin’s tongue was working around his head. 

Gavin teased him, kissing and licking but never actually taking Owen into his mouth, until Owen’s vision was streaked with white and he was writhing on the bed. “Gavin…”

“Mmm?” Gavin’s tongue darted over Owen’s slit, which was crying in desperation much like Owen wanted to be. Owen shuddered, cried out a little. 

God knew how long that went on, but finally at some point Gavin took pity on Owen and engulfed him, just the head, but it was enough for Owen to shout and shoot into Gavin’s mouth, letting Gavin drink him. 

“We could just keep doing that,” Owen suggested, as he caught his breath and Gavin sat up again. “All day, go back and forth blowing each other. We’d have plenty to eat.”

“Gross, but not a bad idea. Though the servants who’ve set up breakfast for us might be a little disappointed if we don’t go out and eat.” 

“When did they do that?” Owen asked, still trying to clear his head. 

“One of them poked their head in a while ago while you were doing me,” Gavin told him, sidling up close and putting his head on Owen’s shoulder. “And discreetly popped back out before we were disturbed.”

Owen felt himself get a little light in the stomach. “Again? Can’t you make them stop doing that?”

“I’d hoped they would have by now without being told,” Gavin admitted. “You and I are nothing if not consistent in this regard. I guess I’ll have a chat with them.” 

“That would be good.”

“In the meantime, though, let’s get dressed and go eat.” Gavin slid from the bed, stretched with a small noise. “It’s too hot.”

“Skip the part where you get dressed,” Owen suggested, following Gavin reluctantly out of the bed and doing some stretches of his own. 

“And let everyone else see what rightfully belongs to you? I don’t think so.” 

“Aw.” Owen took Gavin in his arms and kissed him, and Gavin kissed back, but only briefly, before returning to his stretches. 

“I suggest you don’t wear any smallclothes today.” 

“See, this is why I like you—always thinking,” Owen yawned.

“It’s what I’m here for.” 

It always took them longer than strictly necessary to clothe themselves when they were together, mostly because neither of them could resist touching each other everywhere as they tried to dress. But eventually they were decent and Gavin led Owen to the door and out into the main room of his apartments, where breakfast would be set up. 

It wasn’t, though, and Gavin glanced at the maid, whose name was Mina. “Your Highness,” she said, bowing. “Their Highnesses the king and queen have requested that you and your companion break your fasts with them this morning.”

“Both of us?” Gavin’s eyebrows rose and Owen’s stomach sank. He’d kind of assumed that at some point it was going to get to Gavin’s parents that this was happening, but part of him had been hoping that they would just decide not to do anything about it. 

“Yes, your Highness. I’d have told you earlier, but…” she trailed off. 

Gavin smiled, hitting Owen as he did. “Yes, I know. We’ll head there now.” 

“We will?”

“Of course.” Gavin turned a smile on Owen. “You want to keep the king waiting?”

Owen didn’t, except that he kind of did want to keep the king waiting—forever. But it looked like he didn’t have a choice, and he just followed Gavin out of the room, wishing that every step didn’t feel so heavy. 

About halfway there, Gavin turned up to look at him. “What’s the matter?”

“Do…” Owen trailed off, looked at Gavin, a little incredulous. “Do I really need to tell you what’s the matter?”

“What, are you afraid of breakfast? It’s just my parents, Owen.”

“I know it’s not a big deal to you, but your parents are the king and queen, Gavin,” Owen hissed. “It’s a bit worrying even if we hadn’t been blowing each other ten minutes ago.” 

Gavin just looked at Owen for a minute, an annoyed look on his face. He glanced around the hallway, seized Owen by the arm and pulled him towards one door in particular. “What are you doing?”

“Talking.” Gavin pulled the door open and pushed Owen inside, shutting them in the room. It was an empty sitting room. He pushed Owen up against the closed door, putting his hands on his hips. “Stop being such a wimp.”

“What? Gavin.” 

“No, don’t _Gavin_ me, Owen. We’ve _had_ this talk. I’m just a person. Gabrielle’s just a person. My parents are just _people_ , Owen. What do you give a shit what they do for a living?”

Owen blinked at him. It was like Gavin didn’t understand what was at stake here. “Because what they do for a living is a job that lets them have me arrested or killed, Gavin! Because they could send me away from you.”

“You think I’d let them do that?” Gavin sounded almost disgusted at the suggestion. “We’ve had that conversation too.”

“No, but…”

“Dragons have a job that involves eating people, and ice wizards have a job that involves ending the world, and spiders have a job that involves scaring me out of my skin, and you’re not _daunted_ by any of them,” Gavin said, punctuating it with a slap to Owen’s chest. 

“That’s different.” Owen didn’t miss Gavin’s word choice. 

“The knights tried to hang you and you didn’t let them daunt you either.” 

“Well…”

“Exactly.” Gavin patted Owen on the cheek a little more forcefully than necessary. “So man the _fuck_ up and talk to my parents, Owen. Charm the hell out of them like you do everyone else and make them change their minds about you. Got it?”

Owen looked down at Gavin, pressed right into his space, glaring up at him. He was right. Owen was making this a bigger deal than it had to be. Practically everything Owen had met in the last year had been ready to kill him, and this was no different. He nodded. “Okay. Sorry.”

“You’d better be, and I don’t want to have to do this again, got it?”

“Got it.” Owen swallowed, smiled. “Still, it’s okay if I don’t mention the two blowjobs this morning, right?”

Gavin smacked his chest again. “It was three.”

“Yeah, but I don’t remember the first one, remember?” Owen raised his eyebrows. 

In reply, Gavin rolled his eyes. And got down on his knees. “You know, I was planning on doing you again at the breakfast table. Since that ship has sailed now, I guess this’ll have to do.”

“I’m not sure how to deal with the disappointment.”

“Try sticking your cock in my mouth,” Gavin suggested as he unlaced Owen’s pants. “That usually helps.”

“And spoil your breakfast?” Owen was already getting hard again and already appreciating the lack of smallclothes that he was wearing. 

Gavin punched Owen in the leg, yanking Owen’s pants down. 

Owen smirked, taking his cock in hand. “Big sword goes in Gavin.”

“I’ll bite you.”

Owen chuckled, pushing forward. Gavin opened his mouth and took Owen in. Gavin surprised him by sliding all the way down in one go, until Owen hit the back of his throat with a cry. And then Gavin relaxed, letting Owen the rest of the way in. “Oh, Gavin…” Owen managed as he felt his balls hit Gavin’s chin. 

Gavin pulled back, and slid forward again, tongue working as he did. He pulled Owen along with him, until Owen got the hint and started moving in tune with Gavin, thrusting in and out of his mouth faster and faster, getting lost in it until all of the sudden, way too soon, Owen was spewing another load of cum down Gavin’s throat. 

Gavin pulled off with a satisfied smile, wiping at his mouth. “I have a plan, you know,” he said conversationally, pulling up Owen’s pants. 

“Oh?” It was a good thing, because Owen definitely wasn’t equipped to do it. 

“I’m going to blow you so many times that you can’t get it up by the end of the day.” Gavin turned that smile up at him now. “Then when we go to bed I’m going to fuck you and only worry about getting myself off, because your dick’ll be all limp.”

“Oh, yeah?” Owen challenged as Gavin finished with his pants and stood. He didn’t fail to notice the tent Gavin was pitching now. “That doesn’t sound like me.”

“Even you have limits. I’ll find them.”

“You want to bet?”

Gavin gave him a look, tilting his head a little. “Maybe. What are you betting?”

“If you can do it, you can fuck me without worrying about me all day tomorrow.”

“Hm.” Gavin leaned in, kissed him. “A step more than that. You don’t get to cum at all.”

Owen nodded. If Gavin got what he wanted today, he likely wouldn’t have it in him to cum tomorrow anyway. “If you can’t, I get to fuck you tonight instead.”

This was a challenge Owen felt up to. 

“Deal.” Gavin kissed him again. “Now let’s go. Mom and dad are waiting.” 

“I’m not going to be able to look at them without seeing you on your knees just now,” Owen muttered as Gavin opened the door and they went back out into the hallway. 

“That was the idea. Walk in there like you just got an amazing blowjob from their son and you know they can’t do anything about it.”

Owen gulped. “They can, though?”

“Shhh, we’re done that talk now,” Gavin warned him. “Oh, look. We’re here.”

They were indeed here, at some doors, which Gavin opened to reveal a nice little dining room, where the king and queen were seated at a nice little table. 

“Ah,” King Gerard said, looking up at them. “We were wondering if you’d gotten lost, son.”

“Sorry, your Highness,” Owen told him, giving a little bow. “I asked for a tour first.” 

The king and queen looked at each other for a moment as Owen pulled out a chair for Gavin to sit. “See anything interesting?” Gavin’s mother asked. 

Owen grinned, thought of Gavin on his knees. “A few things. There are some beautiful works of art in this castle, you know.”

“That’s an awfully romantic way for you to refer to my son,” the queen said as Owen sat down. 

Owen looked up at her, smiling nervously and a little worried, but he pushed that aside. “Oops,” he said. “And here I thought I was being subtle.”

“Not, I suspect, a strong suit of yours, young man.” 

“Not really,” Owen admitted, wishing that Gavin’s mother could look at him in some way that didn’t make her look like she was planning on eating him instead of the eggs on the table. “I’m more of a ‘stab it until it dies’ kind of guy. Gavin’s the brains of the outfit.”

“He gets that from his father,” the queen said offhandedly, smiling at her son, who was just watching the two of them with what might look to an outsider to be benign interest. “Come, let’s eat.”

Bowls of oatmeal were already laid out, and there was a platter of fruit and a plate of eggs in between them, and some bread and butter. A disappointing lack of bacon, Owen noted, but he waited until Gavin had picked up his spoon to start eating and did the same, deciding to ignore the fact that there were two and using the larger of them.

“So about all these rumours we’re hearing from the servants about you two,” Gerard began, after Owen had spooned some oatmeal into his mouth. 

Owen made an effort not to choke, managing to swallow without dying, he looked at the king. 

“Dad.” Gavin held out a hand, waved it feebly at his father. “Don’t listen to servants’ gossip. It’s unsightly for a king.” 

“Well, as I’m the only one who’s a king, I’ll be the judge of that, son. And all of that unsightly gossip suggests that your friend hasn’t been making much use of the bed that we’ve so thoughtfully provided for him to sleep in.” 

“I can’t believe you. You had us come here on purpose so you could do this.” Gavin sighed, looking up at the ceiling for a minute. 

“Well, we invited you and whoever happened to be in your bedroom, just to be polite,” the king told Gavin, pointing with his spoon. The half-smile on his face was an expression that Gavin had inherited from him. “It’s not our fault you happened to have Owen in there.”

“ _Dad._ ”

“Gavin’s bed is the more comfortable of the two,” Owen interrupted, drawing the king’s attention back to himself. He put on a totally innocent face and looked him right in the eye. “And it’s bigger. More than big enough for two people.” 

Gavin had told him to act this way, after all.

“Owen,” Gavin warned, patting his arm. 

“What you really need to do,” Owen went on, covering Gavin’s hand with his for a second before removing it, “is have a talk with him about the safety issues involved in sleeping with his balcony door open. Did you know it’s not even guarded at night? There are stairs; anyone could just walk up there.” 

Gerard just stared at Owen for a minute, and then he blinked. “A fair point. Perhaps we should station a guard.”

“It would be a good idea.” Owen nodded seriously. “I’ve tried to talk to Gavin about it, but he won’t listen to me.”

“There’s a huge wall and a moat.” Gavin sounded annoyed, but Owen wasn’t sure what he’d expected. 

“A useless moat, and climbing walls isn’t that hard.” 

“You know, Gavin, we have been telling you for years that you need to listen to people who are worried about your safety,” Gerard said, thoughtfully. “You’re too flippant about it.”

“I am not,” Gavin muttered. 

“You were kidnapped by a dragon, dear,” Georgina reminded him. “After you slipped your guards.” 

Owen raised his eyebrows, looking at Gavin. “You never told me that part.”

Gavin rolled his eyes. “He would have killed the guards if they’d been there, I was protecting them.” 

Owen gave Gavin a very light shove in his chair. “It was their job to protect you, dumbass. You going to run away from me next time a dragon shows up to protect me?” He turned back to Gavin’s parents. “You know one time he jumped off a cliff to kill an ice monster? Just…” Owen waved a hand. “Right off a mountain.” 

“ _Gavin ven Sancte_ , you did what?” 

“It wasn’t as bad as it sounds! And it worked out okay in the end anyway.” Gavin glared at Owen. “You’re using the wrong spoon.”

“I’m using the spoon that lets me eat faster,” Owen said, looking down at it. He was of the opinion that there was no such thing as a wrong spoon. 

“I suppose we should be grateful that we have you stationed in Gavin’s room,” Georgina said, watching the two of them. “To protect him. From himself if nothing else.” 

“You’re welcome,” Owen told her. “Not that I need thanks. I’d protect him anyway.” 

“Good. That doesn’t do much to explain why the servants also mention needing to clean his bedding every morning.” 

“Well…” Owen went a little red, averted his eyes and got some eggs. 

“Mom…” Gavin had his eyes closed now. “Don’t.”

“Just a comment, dear.” 

“Whatever, I’m living proof that you have sex sometimes too.” 

“Sometimes?” Georgina raised an eyebrow, something else Gavin had inherited. 

“So,” Gerard interrupted, pointing at Owen. “Tell me, Owen. How does one go about killing a dragon, anyway?”

Owen turned a grin on him, swallowing the egg in his mouth. “You stab it until it dies.” 

The king looked at him in a way not dissimilar to how Gavin did when he couldn’t decide if he wanted to punch Owen or laugh. “Suited to your skillset, then.”

“Yep. You kill most things that way, actually. Trolls, ghouls, bandits, wizards.” Owen shrugged. “It’s universally effective.” 

“Didn’t work on the ice monsters,” Gavin muttered quietly, playing with his oatmeal.

“Mostly universally effective,” Owen amended, flicking a look at Gavin. 

“Oh, dear,” Georgina said, with a long sigh as she watched the two of them. She sat back in her chair, picking up a glass of water and sipping at it. 

“What?” Gavin asked. “Something wrong?”

“You two are rather more well suited for each other than I’d assumed at first,” she said, in tones of great personal sacrifice. “Don’t you think so, Gerard?”

“I do.” Gerard shook his head. He sighed too. “We’re probably going to have to let them stay together, aren’t we?”

“I should think so.” 

Gavin’s eyes went wide, and Owen felt himself grinning. He punched Gavin in the shoulder. 

Gavin punched him back. “Told you.”

“Yeah, yeah.” 

“Conditionally, of course,” Georgina went on, eyeing Owen. “We’ll have to set up three trials or something for Owen.”

“Just three?” Owen asked, still grinning, giddy. “I’ll be back in time for lunch.”

“Very funny. Why don’t you tell us in detail how you killed that dragon? An entire order of knights couldn’t manage it and I’m curious. Gavin’s story wasn’t very helpful.”

“I told you everything!”

“Your side of the story focused rather more on Owen than it needed to. We want vicarious vengeance on the dragon who kidnapped you, Gavin. Let’s hear the story.”

“Well, okay.” Owen got comfortable in his chair, sending another grin at Gavin. Gavin took his hand under the table. “I guess I’ll start a little before I found the cave, when I left my village with zero dragon-fighting equipment except for a bad attitude and a pretty solid determination.” 

It wasn’t, in retrospect, much different from what he’d walked into this dining room with.


	33. Secrets and Friends Don’t Work Well Together

“You ruined all my plans, you know.”

Hector Quate was one of Gavin’s friends, a skinny guy who talked a little bit less like a rich kid than the rest of them. Tan and light-haired, he sat down next to Owen on the grass and watched Gavin talk with some of the others. They were having a picnic on the castle grounds, and Owen had moved back a bit to give himself a break from the relentless questioning. 

Gavin had been right, his friends seemed pretty determined to eat Owen. But Owen thought he was holding his own. 

Owen looked at Hector. “Sorry about that.”

“You don’t sound sorry,” Hector sighed. 

“Do I sound like I know what we’re talking about?”

Hector snorted a laugh. “You’re just enough of an asshole to match with Gavin.”

“Thanks, I try my hardest.”

Still chuckling, Hector gave Owen a look. “Gavin was always my back-up plan when I was younger. I figured if all else failed I’d marry him.”

Owen figured Hector was joking, and tried not to glare. “Your back-up plan?”

“Well, my first plan was Turner.” Hector said with a sigh, looking over at the dark-haired young man joking with Gavin. He had a silver ring on his finger, signifying his betrothal to Gavin’s cousin. “Now he’s engaged and Gavin’s got you, what am I supposed to do?”

Owen watched Hector, trying to decide if he was serious. “You could try fighting a dragon,” he suggested. “That’s how I got mine.”

Now Hector looked very unimpressed. “That sounds like a lot of work. Boys are supposed to just fall for my natural charm and charisma.” 

“And how’s that working so far?”

Hector groaned a bit, and flopped back onto the grass, looking up at a cloud. “Whatever. I’ll let you keep Gavin, for now.” 

“Thanks. I wasn’t planning on returning him anyway.”

“Rude. I saw him first.” 

“Too bad, he’s mine now.” 

Another chuckle. “Yeah, that’s pretty obvious. Fortunately for you I’ve been feeling a bit…” he held out a hand, wiggled it a bit. “…eh about boys lately anyway. Maybe I’ll try hopelessly pining after a girl instead.” 

“How about Gabrielle?” Owen teased. “Just to keep up the theme.”

“Of people I have no chance with?” Hector laughed, rolled onto his side. “You suck, you know that?”

“That’s one of the things I like about him,” Gavin was suddenly beside them. Owen hadn’t noticed him approach, and he looked up and smiled at him as Gavin sat down with them. “You two thinking you can sneak away from the rest of us over here.”

“We’re five feet away from you, calm your royal boots.” Hector pulled himself into a sit with way more effort than was necessary. “Owen’s giving me dating advice.” 

“God, don’t listen to him. His dating strategy is to rush into a cave with no plan and hope for a miracle.”

“Skill,” Owen reminded him. “Pure skill, you’re just jealous that you lacked the ability to slay your own dragon. And I totally had a plan.”

“Yeah, the plan was that the dragon would trip and land on your sword, and then so would I.” 

Owen coloured, gave Gavin a poke to the arm. “Well, it worked, didn’t it?”

“Whatever, I’m easy to impress.” Gavin shrugged. 

“Unlike me, I have the highest standards.”

“Obviously.” 

“Um, guys?” Hector asked, waving at them “I’m still here.”

“Right, you need dating advice.” Gavin grinned at Hector, then threw a glance over his shoulder at Turner, who was now talking to his sister Olivia. Gavin had told him that she was the friend of Gabrielle’s who’d dropped out of knight training. She and her fiancée were getting married in a few weeks. “Turner still doesn’t know about your embarrassing crush on him, right?”

“No,” Hector said, glaring at Gavin. “And he never will. It’s easier that way.” 

“You know it’s easier to get people to date you if you tell them that you want to date them? Gavin asked. “At least that’s what I’ve found.”

“I don’t remember you saying you wanted to date me,” Owen told him. “I remember you telling me to take my clothes off.” 

“That was different, you’re easy.”

“You two are really annoying,” Hector observed, shaking his head at them. 

“Yeah, and you’re really single,” Gavin poked. 

Hector rolled his eyes. “Whatever, I’ll just let mom marry me off to someone. It’s probably easier.” 

“You’re so lazy.” Dark-eyed Susanna had wandered over at some point now, and sat next to them. “Stop letting your mother run your life, Hector.”

“Stop letting cattle farmers run yours,” Hector suggested back, raising an eyebrow. 

Susanna just gave him a thoroughly unimpressed look, and Gavin turned to Owen. “The Suntower family owns a lot of really important farmland.”

“Speaking of which, Owen, you want to kill more dragons for us? They’re a bloody menace.”

“Sure, how many do you want killed?” Owen asked with a grin, flexing his arm a bit. 

That earned him a chuckle, but Susanna pointed at him. “I wasn’t joking.” 

“Neither was I.”

“His services aren’t free,” Gavin told her. “Dragon slaying is expensive.”

First Owen had heard of that, but Susanna just smiled at Gavin. “I’m sure I can get a discount since he’s sleeping with my friend. Plus I’m shopping in bulk here.”

“We’ll talk.” 

“Do I get a say?” Owen asked. 

“No,” Gavin told him, and Owen just shrugged. 

Hector giggled at all of that. “Looking down the pipe at the rest of your life, regretting your decisions?”

Owen didn’t even hesitate. “Nope.”

“Suddenly you look up and all the cool kids have moved over here.” Owen looked up at Turner Feestings, who punched Gavin on the shoulder. “Are we that boring?”

“Yes,” Gavin, Hector and Susanna all told him, but that didn’t stop Turner from sitting down. Gavin’s other friends were making their way over here as well now. Fair enough, Owen supposed. 

“I have to say, Owen, I don’t know why you put up with him,” Turner told Owen as he sat. 

“Well, he’s pretty.”

Turner considered Gavin. “I guess,” he declared. 

“You guess?” Gavin demanded, sounding offended. 

“You’re okay,” Owen didn’t like how much Kieran Wrathwate smiled, but he seemed genuine enough. “For a guy, anyway.” 

“You going to tell him that at the altar too, Kieran?” Hector asked, looking at his nails. 

Kieran glared at Hector, and so did Gavin. “You shut up,” Gavin ordered.

Hector put on an innocent expression. “What?” Owen asked. There was some strange tension between Gavin and Kieran, not bad, but like they were both making a point of not talking about something. Owen wondered if they’d been interested in each other before or something.

“Nothing,” Gavin said, in a very final tone.

“Now I want to know.”

“Owen, it’s nothing.” Gavin looked embarrassed. 

“Then tell me.” Owen poked Gavin’s side. “I’ll find out eventually anyway.” Owen wasn’t about to be mad that Gavin and Kieran had been jerk-off buddies as kids or something. 

Flushed with colour, Gavin sighed. “It’s nothing. Kieran’s father wants us to get married. It’s not going to happen,” he added quickly, seeing how Owen tensed. “Lord Kenneth is just ambitious like that.”

“And bad at it,” Kieran confirmed, putting his hands up. He looked embarrassed too. “I promise I’m not the enemy here. Nobody takes my dad seriously.” 

“Good,” Owen settled back down, though his heartrate had picked up a little. He didn’t need any reminders that Gavin might get stolen out from under him like that. “I’d hate to have to kidnap poor Gavin at his own wedding.” 

“Speaking of which, I’m having a hard time picturing Owen dressed up. He’s going to look funny at the banquet,” Hector said suddenly, while Gavin flushed. 

Owen blinked, looked at Gavin. “What banquet?”

“The…banquet that I haven’t told you about yet,” Gavin said, looking up at the sky. 

“You haven’t told him?” Hector asked, sounding a bit scandalized. “You’re going to make him come to a fancy dinner party the likes of which he’s probably never seen and you haven’t told him yet?”

“Can I second that?” Owen asked, still looking at Gavin. 

“I, um. Thought it would be a good surprise. I was going to tell you on, you know, the morning of the banquet.” 

“Gavin!” Owen thought he deserved more warning about something that sounded so terrifying.

“I didn’t want you to get worried about it. It’s just an expensive dinner to formally celebrate my return to the capital, and everything. Not a big deal.” 

“It sounds like a big deal,” Owen pressed. He wasn’t going to let Gavin back out of this. 

“You’ll be fine.”

“Does he even know what fork to eat with?” Turner asked. 

Looking at the look on Owen’s face, Hector added, “Does he even know that there’s more than one kind of fork?”

“Gavin.” Owen could feel his eyes going wider. 

“Oh, it’s just cutlery.” Gavin waved a hand. “Nobody cares.”

“Except for your parents and the entire royal court, who are all going to be there,” Susanna said, as if having just thought of it. 

“All of whom are going to be wanting to appraise your new lover,” Turner nodded along. 

“And will be searching him for culture and manners,” Hector finished. 

“ _Gavin_.” Owen was growing steadily more alarmed and angry in turns. What the hell had Gavin been thinking, not telling him about this? Maybe he’d already sufficiently impressed the king and queen, but he didn’t need to be taking steps backwards by making a fool of himself in public. 

“They’re just teasing you, Owen.” Gavin sighed. “Sorry, I’m sorry. I should have told you before.” He smiled. “On the bright side, now that the secret’s out, you can come with me to the tailor’s to make sure I gave him the right measurements for your outfit.” 

“You already got me something to wear.” It wasn’t a question. 

“Well, you have no fashion sense anyway.”

“I’m going to look ridiculous, aren’t I?”

“Of course not.” Gavin’s face was entirely straight, and Owen didn’t buy it for a second. 

“Are you at least going to look ridiculous too?”

“No, I’m going to look royal and handsome.”

“You always look royal and handsome, you little shit.”

“Exactly!” Gavin’s expression brightened. “So it’s no different. Anyway, you all suck for making Owen worry about this, now I’m going to have to spend days calming him down. This is why I didn’t let you meet him until now.” 

“No, I think that was because you’re a terrible person,” Owen put in, and several of Gavin’s friends nodded. 

“Everyone in the capital is a terrible person.” Gavin shrugged as he said that. He reached out and took Owen’s hand as he said it. “I wouldn’t get too worked up if I were you. It’s just a party.”

“I’d rather fight another dragon.”

“I’ll arrange that with Susanna later, promise.” 

Owen let them move on to talking about what food they hoped was served at the banquet, still planning to take this up with Gavin later. But through the rest of the afternoon, Gavin held his hand, and that did a lot to remind Owen that he had nothing to worry about.


	34. It Doesn’t Take Much to Unbalance the Illusion of Safety

“I looked like an idiot.” 

“You looked dashing,” Gavin insisted. 

“ _You_ looked dashing. I had a bow,” Owen grumbled. It had been really big. “Your whole plan for making everyone in the capital like me is to get them to laugh at me all the time.” 

“Not really, but it’s a fun idea. Lots of people will be wearing bows, promise.”

“Not you, though.”

“No, they look stupid.” Gavin squeezed Owen’s hand as they walked away from the tailor’s shop. Owen was sure the tailor would have come to the castle, but Gavin had wanted to go for a walk in the city. Owen couldn’t say he was opposed to the idea. “On me, at least. I can’t ever convince them not to make one so huge that my head looks tiny.” 

Owen snickered. “Is baby Gavin too little for big boy clothes?”

“Shut up or I’ll get the tailor to make the bow bigger.” 

“Shutting up.” Gavin would, Owen knew. 

“Besides, you’re only going to have to wear it for one night,” Gavin told him, looking around at the city. “Then I’ll take it off of you.” 

That earned a grin from Owen. “While you were getting measured by the tailor all I could think—aside from how I’d break his hands if they went somewhere I didn’t like—was how good that outfit of yours is going to look on the floor after the banquet.”

Gavin bumped his shoulder. “You’re losing your edge. I was looking forward to seeing it in pieces after you tore it off me.”

“That can be arranged, your Highness.”

“That’s better.”

“Then I’m going to use the bow to tie your hands up.” 

Gavin was silent for a moment, side-eyeing Owen. “I had that idea first.”

“Nope, I said it first, too late.” 

“Fine,” Gavin said, sounding annoyed. “But only if you comport yourself properly at the banquet.”

“I’ll keep my elbows off the table.” 

“I bet you can’t. If you slip up and do something dumb, I get to tie you up.” 

Now Owen smirked, feeling a lot more confident as he nudged Gavin. “You really want to make bets with me? That didn’t go well for you last time.”

“That’s because you _cheated_ ,” Gavin said, kicking Owen’s boot. 

“Not my fault you didn’t blow me enough times,” Owen told him, hands in his pockets. “I did my part.”

“You’re not human, I swear. Nobody has that much stamina. It’s…” 

“Owen! Gavin!” They looked over—and the two castle guards following them did as well—to see Aria approaching them from another street. “Out for a walk?”

Gavin waved down the guards, nodding at Aria. “Getting Owen fitted for the banquet,” he told her as they joined her. Cleo was not far behind, Owen saw. 

“Ah, yes. Should be fun, that. I had a new dress made an everything.” Aria smiled. 

“A dress?” Owen couldn’t help but ask. 

“Yes, it’s a garment typically worn by women at formal events,” she told him, fixing Owen with a flat look. 

Owen chuckled. “Sorry. Just didn’t think you seemed like the type.” 

“Well, they’re a little impractical when fighting, but otherwise…” Aria shrugged. 

“Okay.” Owen smiled, then narrowed his eyes. On Gavin. “Aria knew about the banquet.” 

“Well, yes. I told her.”

“You’re the worst.” 

“You’d dissolve into a pile of tears without me,” Gavin told him, pinching Owen on the cheek. “What are you two ladies up to today?”

Aria and Cleo glanced at each other, and Gavin straightened. “What’s wrong?”

“Carter’s dead,” Aria told them, with a bit of a sigh. 

“What?” Owen felt a chill go over him, remembering the young freerider’s face. “What happened?”

Cleo shook her head. “Some knights found his body in an alley not far from here a few days ago. His brother said they’d gone out drinking to celebrate Gabrielle renewing their contract.” 

“So like a mugging or something?” Gavin asked, frowning and looking around. 

“He was a pretty good fighter,” Owen shook his head. “Even drunk, I’m sure he would have…”

“He was gutted. And he still had coin in his pockets.” Aria crossed her arms. 

There were moments in Owen’s life that he could pinpoint, where suddenly the world had seemed just a little bit more dangerous all at once, and this was one of them. “He was a perfectly nice guy. He put a tarp over my cage when it was storming. He didn’t need to do that.” 

Gavin took Owen’s hand again, laced his fingers through Owen’s. “Do the guard know who was responsible?”

“Not yet. They’re looking for a street preacher who was ranting about the Leader right in front of the alley where Carter was found to ask if he saw anything. Nobody else they’ve spoken to knows anything.” 

Gavin sighed, shaking his head. “They’re not going to find him.” 

Owen looked at Gavin, then at Aria. “Is there anything we can do?”

“No, I don’t think so. Not unless you’ve seen him recently.” 

Owen hadn’t, and shook his head. 

Aria shook her head, giving a bit of a shrug. “Hopefully they’ll find something. A shitty way to die, murdered in an alley.”

“Most ways of dying are shitty,” Cleo said. 

“We should go,” Aria told them. “A few more errands to run, sorry. We’ll see you at the banquet.”

“See you there,” Gavin said, and Owen nodded. The two women moved off. “Let’s go back to the castle.”

“Yeah. You okay?” Gavin looked angry. 

Shaking his head, Gavin started walking. “No. Your friend got murdered. And…” He looked over his shoulder for a moment. “Something I haven’t told you.”

“What is it?”

“A few weeks ago in the First Church of the Blessed, someone found centipedes. Big, long, red centipedes.”

Owen felt another chill, this one reminiscent of a floating ice castle that he hoped never to see again. “Why?”

“I don’t know,” Gavin said, in a whisper. “I don’t know, Owen. The capital…this is my city. It’s my home. Bad things are happening here and I don’t like it. I’ve never not felt safe here, but…”

Owen put an arm around Gavin as they walked, keeping an eye on the crowds. “Let’s figure out what we can do.”

“I don’t know that we can.”

“We can. There’s always something we can do. We’ll figure out why all these things are happening and then I’ll kill whatever is causing it.” 

“You can’t…”

“I can.” Owen leaned in and kissed Gavin’s cheek. “I can, Gavin, because something is making you feel unsafe in your own home and I’m not going to let that happen. So let’s figure out what it is so I can kill it.” 

Gavin gave a little laugh. “It’s probably not all one something. The world doesn’t run on conspiracies like that.” 

“Then I’ll kill a lot of things,” Owen promised. “Don’t complicate this. It’s pretty straightforward.” Gavin felt threatened. Owen was going to get rid of whatever was making him feel that way. Simple. 

“Yeah, okay.” Gavin smiled, leaned into Owen as they walked. “I’m sorry your friend died.”

“I am too. He was a nice person.”

“Yeah,” Gavin sighed. “Makes getting fitted for clothes seem really silly.”

“Yeah.” 

“You’re still wearing the bow.” 

Owen snorted. “So are you. Just later.”

“Yeah, yeah.” 

Together they made it back to the castle without incident. Owen sharpened his sword that night, just because.


	35. The Benefit of Large Crowds Is that There Are Plenty of People Who Can Help You out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's the crossover event of the year here.
> 
> That said, as usual, reading the other parts is not necessary to enjoy this one.

The banquet wasn’t as bad as Owen had thought it would be. 

It was just a lot of people in a big room eating and drinking, and talking to each other a lot. The only difference between this and any number of taverns that Owen had set foot in was that everyone was dressed like their clothes were their only personality and the food looked like it had come out of a painting. 

There was also a lot of free wine, which more than a few people had taken advantage of. Owen had only had one glass. Which Gavin had refilled twice and told him that it still counted as one. Still, he was having fun. 

“Banquet” apparently didn’t mean to nobles quite what it meant for Owen. There had been a proper sit-down meal at the beginning, but once that had finished, servants and come in and taken the chairs and table away, and now there was food on tables along the walls, and everyone was just sort of loitering, talking while they drank. 

“You look bored,” a voice said from beside him, and Owen looked over at Boey. He didn’t have a bow on, unlike Owen, and he looked perfectly nice in green. 

Owen shrugged. “I get antsy when nobody tries to kill me for a prolonged period of time,” he said, though that wasn’t why he was antsy. “This seems like the kind of party where someone should try to stab someone else.”

Boey looked at him for a second. “You obviously have a lot of experience at parties,”

Owen shrugged. “Not really. Thank God.”

“Who do you think is going to stab someone?” Boey asked, looking around the room with Owen. 

“Nobody, I was just joking.” Sort of.

“If you had to pick someone.”

Owen looked at Boey, who was watching him with a patient expression. He looked back out around the room. “That guy,” Owen said, pointing out one man in particular. He was dressed like minor nobility, talking to a few people here and there. 

“Why?”

“Nobody seems to know who he is, you can tell by how they react when he starts talking to them.” Owen shrugged. “Plus he’s got a knife.” Owen had seen the slight bulge in his coat earlier when they’d crossed paths. 

Boey watched the man move for a minute. And he smirked. “You’re sharp.”

“Dull sellswords die.” Owen shrugged again. “Just entertaining myself. I’m sure they wouldn’t have let him in if he was dangerous.” 

“Never underestimate the ability of guards to overlook the obvious,” that was a new voice, and Prince Franz was approaching from Boey’s other side. He smiled at Owen. “I don’t think we’ve met.”

Owen bowed. “Prince Franz, a pleasure to meet you. I’m Owen.” 

“Yes, Gavin’s lover. I’ve heard much about you.” Lighter and more angular than Boey, Franz did have a bow on, but it only looked a little bit silly on him. He looked like the kind of person who wore things like that anyway, unlike Owen.

“None of it good, I’m sure.” Owen didn’t know the content of the castle gossip about him, but he had a feeling he could guess.

“Gavin and Gabrielle both like you quite a bit.” 

“I should hope Gavin likes me more than quite a bit, your Highness.” Owen smiled at him. 

Franz laughed. “Yes, I think he does. Boey likes you too—if not as much as Gavin, I hope. That makes three people whose opinions I value who like you, so it stands to reason that I should too.” 

“I didn’t know that liking people or not was based on reason, sir,” Owen said. Franz seemed charming enough. And for all of what Owen had just said, Gavin liked him, so that was good enough for Owen to like him too. 

“A fair point. Who is it that you think is dangerous?” 

Before Owen could repeat that he’d just been fooling around, Boey spoke up. “The same one we think is dangerous.” 

“What?”

Franz smiled, nodded. “Okay. Would you do me a favour, Owen?” 

“What’s that?”

“Keep an eye on him?” 

Owen shifted into something like a fighting stance without meaning to. “What’s going on?”

Franz and Boey glanced at each other. “I have credible reason to think that someone here is going to make an attempt on Gabrielle’s life. It’s probably him.” 

Owen looked from them to the man and back again. “Then arrest him.”

“It’s not that easy.” 

Owen nodded, looking around the room once. His eyes landed on Aria, who was talking to a pompous-looking mage in white and seemed to catch his expression. He glanced over at the potential assassin, and saw her follow his gaze. She nodded incrementally, not breaking conversation with the mage. “Because you think there’s another one?”

Boey smiled. “Isn’t that man a little too obvious for your liking?”

“Yeah, I guess he is.” If Owen were hiring killers, he’d want one of them to be pretty obvious too so that nobody would look for the one—or two or five—who weren’t. “I’ll keep my eye out.” 

“We don’t want to spook them and cause them to disappear before we can catch them,” Franz warned. “Or have them act early and kill someone.”

“Yeah.” Owen nodded, and he smiled at Franz, bowing again. “It was nice to speak with you, your Highness,” he said, voice a little louder. “I should go find Gavin.” 

“I’d caution against telling him anything right now.”

“Because you don’t want him to do something silly,” Owen said with an easy smile. Gavin might like Franz, but it seemed like Franz hadn’t paid much attention to Gavin in their time together. “Don’t worry, your Highness. I’m a professional.”

“It was nice to meet you, Owen,” Franz told Owen with a bit of a calculating look on his face. “I look forward to talking again.”

“Me too, sir. Good to see you, Boey.” Boey was just smiling, and he nodded as Owen broke away from the two of them. 

He couldn’t hear the whispered conversation that the two of them fell into after he turned his back on them, but Owen knew that it was happening. Feeling like his stupid fancy clothes were too tight—they were, too tight, too many ruffles on the sleeves, the stupid bow, which was bigger than it had been when Owen had tried it on before, and had lace on it now, something called brocade on the coat—Owen moved through the room, heading for Gavin. He snagged some wineglasses off a table as he went. 

Gavin had been surrounded by various nobles all night, which Owen had expected. At the moment, though, he seemed to have slipped away from the worst of them. He was just talking to one of the students from the mages’ academy. Gavin had told him that they had been invited to the banquet because the king wanted them to stop wasting everyone’s time with their chosen one situation. 

Apparently they had three. And even Owen could count to one and realize that it wasn’t three when it wasn’t glasses of wine, so he could see the frustration. 

The guy talking to Gavin was sprightly and sported a mop of uncombed dark hair that needed cutting. “I could even give you a tour, if you want. There’s a lot to see at the academy.” Everything from his stance to the way he was talking made it clear that he was hitting on Gavin. 

Gavin looked up from the mage, saw Owen. “I was wondering how long it would take you to find me.”

“Were you hiding?” Owen asked, handing Gavin one of the wineglasses he’d grabbed. 

“Not really. This is Isaac. He’s one of the chosen ones. He’s trying to get me to sleep with him.”

Isaac didn’t even look embarrassed as he shrugged. Owen wanted to loosen a few of his teeth, but he just smiled, and clasped his hand, perhaps a bit harder than necessary. “How many dragons have you killed?”

“Uh…none,” Isaac told him. 

“Then you don’t have a chance, sorry. Gavin’s hard to impress.” Owen smirked. 

“This is Owen, Isaac. He’s the reason why you’re going to be unsuccessful.” 

“Aw.” Isaac crossed his arms and pouted a bit. “That’s…you two are really unfair. Keeping each other from the rest of the world.”

“Sorry,” Owen lied. He could take that as the compliment it was.

“Well.” Isaac let out a sigh, then grinned at the two of them. “If you two are ever interested in a third person, just for one night, you know. Let me know. Otherwise I’ll stop bugging you.” 

“No need to run away,” Gavin told him, though Owen very much thought there was.

“Who’s running?” Isaac grinned at Gavin. “I’ve got to find someone to give me that tour of the castle.” He bowed a little and backed away, already with his eye on someone else that Owen couldn’t see. 

“He seemed nice,” Owen said after he’d gone away.

“He was. You going to do the jealousy thing? It’s an attractive look for you.” Gavin looked at Owen over the rim of his wineglass. 

“Please. I know he didn’t have a chance,” Owen said, putting an arm around Gavin. 

“How do you feel about the idea of a third person?” Gavin asked, leaning into Owen a little. “Just for a night?”

Owen thought about it, holding Gavin tighter. “I don’t know. I guess I wouldn’t mind, but I feel like we’d ignore him by accident.”

Gavin chuckled. “Probably. I do have trouble keeping my hands off you. You’re holding up okay?” Gavin, as promised, looked dashing in his velvets, fancy with lace in places that Owen thought were unnecessary, but which made him look like he was going to kill someone with his bare hands. Owen appreciated that look. He looked tired resting his head on Owen’s shoulder, but Owen had been watching him throughout the night. He’d been having fun. 

Owen’s prince liked fancy parties. He should have known. 

“I’m doing okay. Your new brother thinks there are assassins lurking somewhere.”

Gavin nodded, sipping from the wine. Only the slight tension in his arms told Owen he hadn’t expected that. “And here I was worried you wouldn’t have anything to do.” 

“He told me not to tell you.”

“He’s still learning, let’s not hold that against him.” Gavin wasn’t obvious about it, but he was looking around the room. “I see the front man. Where are the others?”

“I haven’t found them yet.” 

“Find them, please. I don’t need to have my father killed at a party in my honour.”

“Franz thinks they’re after Gabrielle.” 

Something in Gavin’s stance shifted. “Find them, please,” he repeated, more quietly. 

“Got it.”

“I’m going to go talk to Gabrielle.”

Owen nodded, let go of Gavin. “I’ll go assassin hunting.”

“Please don’t get killed,” Gavin smiled at him. “I’d feel silly turning Isaac down if you did.”

“I’ll do my best.” Owen gave a flourishing bow. Gavin smacked the back of his head. Owen laughed, and they leaned in for a quick kiss before Gavin went off to find Gabrielle and Owen went off to find people with knives. 

The first person with a knife he talked to was Aria. He didn’t know where she was hiding a knife in that black dress with the diving neckline, but he was sure she had. “There’d have to be at least two more,” she said without preamble. 

“That’s what I think too. I don’t see them.”

“That would be the idea, yes.” Aria nodded at the wineglass in his hand. “I hope you haven’t had too much of that.”

“Just enough to make me want to punch someone.” Owen hadn’t actually drank what was in the glass he had in his hand. He had learned after his one glass earlier that he didn’t actually like wine that much. 

“Good.” Aria took the cup from him and downed it in one go. “I’ll get Cleo to help once she’s freed herself from the world of ancient magical people.” She indicated Cleo with her chin, talking to a pointed man who Owen thought was the academy’s archmage, and a thick woman in white who seemed like the sort of old lady who just came to fancy parties even if she wasn’t invited. Maybe especially if she wasn’t invited. 

“What are they talking about that can’t wait until after we make sure Gabrielle doesn’t get poked full of holes?” Owen demanded, looking at the three of them. The conversation they were having seemed pretty intense. 

“Centipedes.”

Owen looked back to Aria, who was waiting for his response. “In the church?”

“And elsewhere,” Aria agreed with a nod. “They’re becoming rather more common than anyone would like. It’s come time to deal with the person who caused that problem.”

Owen wasn’t all that surprised to hear that there was a person causing the problem. Centipedes didn’t go inside wizards and control their corpses on their own. It didn’t take a genius to realize that someone had been pulling strings. “Who’s that?”

“Cleo’s father. But let’s you and I worry about that after we’ve dealt with the situation at hand, yes?”

“Okay.” Owen looked around the room. “There are over a hundred servants at this banquet. The second knife is going to be one of them.”

“Most likely. The other or others will be up there,” Aria nodded. The banquet hall was a long room that had a vaulted ceiling reaching two storeys. The second storey on the west side was a colonnade with heavy curtains in between the pillars. It looked to Owen like there were four or five rooms up there, but the curtains were heavy enough to make it hard to tell. 

Owen sighed. “Who the fuck designs a building that way?”

“Someone who secretly wants to die, I assume.” 

“Well, the architect is dead, so I’m not going to let their ambitions be carried by people I like,” Owen declared, looking up at the second level. “I’m going to put some people on finding out which of the servants we need to find and then head up there.”

“You have people?” Aria sounded amused. “That’s new.” 

“I’ll have people by the end of the evening.” Owen smiled. “I’m pretty convincing when I need to be.”

“So I’ve noticed.” Aria smiled back. “I’m going to run my own search. Leave any actual combat down here to me. I’ll let you do what you see fit up on the second level.”

“Got it.” They nodded at each other and broke apart. 

Trying to project that nothing was wrong, Owen ambled over to Dennis and Deatra on the other side of the room, who were crowding a table with little pastries on it. “Evening.”

“Owen!” Dennis clapped Owen on the back. “You look like a dandy fool in that getup.”

“Being with Gavin does have its downsides here and there,” Owen said, feeling a little self-conscious. Dennis was wearing a bright yellow waistcoat and Deatra a red coat and britches and looked too stiff. “I hear you two signed on in Gabrielle’s retinue.” 

“We did.” Dennis nodded. “There comes a time in your career where you want a steady income and a reasonably safe job more than glory and accolades.” 

“Well, yeah—but you’re old,” Owen teased, though he didn’t think Dennis was much older than forty. “What about Deatra?”

While Dennis grumbled some good-natured threats, Deatra smiled. “Aria told me it would be less boring than I thought. And I don’t mind a year’s solid pay either, mind.”

Owen nodded, crossing his arms. “What the hell happened to Carter?”

Both of them shook their heads. “Who knows?” Deatra asked. “Not a good way to die, gutted in an alley.” 

Making a bit of a face, Owen shook his head. He really wanted to know what had led to one of his friends getting killed like that. But he didn’t have time tonight. “Getting stabbed at your own party might be even worse,” he said.

That got their attention. And both of them glanced over at the man with the knife, who was currently talking to Hector’s mother. “Where are the others?” Deatra asked. 

“Upstairs, and among the servants, are my guesses. I’m going to handle that. Gavin went to warn Gabrielle. And I trust both of them to defend themselves, but neither of them is armed.” Owen glanced over at the two of them, talking perfectly cheerfully in a group of people. “Gabrielle’s the target.”

“We’ll stick near her,” Dennis promised with a nod. “Would be a crying shame if our new employer got killed right after hiring us.”

“That’s what I think too,” Owen said, nodding. “I’ve got more work to do. See you.”

“Good luck, kid.”

Owen nodded again and let the two of them casually wander over to Gabrielle. This why he’d talked to them instead of the guards or the knights lining the room—these two would be better at not being profoundly obvious. 

Owen couldn’t interrogate every servant in the room, but he did take some time to do a good circuit and look at them all, hopefully without being too obvious. None of them looked suspicious, so he did the next best thing to interrogating them and hunted up one he knew. Frederick happened to be walking through the banquet in his line of sight, so Owen intercepted him. “Excuse me.”

“I’m sorry, sir, I have to…”

“You’re Franz’s page, right?” Owen asked him, cutting him off.

Frederick nodded. “Yes, sir. I have to deliver a message to him, if you don’t mind…”

“Just one second. How long have you worked in the castle?”

“Six years, sir.”

He was awfully young for that, but Owen nodded. “So you know all the other servants?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Anyone here tonight that you don’t recognize?”

Frederick blinked, looking around the room. “Well, yes. A lot of people—there weren’t enough of us, so House Wrathwate lent some of their people to help out.” 

“Okay, thank you.” Owen took a breath. “But you know everyone among the castle servants, yeah?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Okay.” Owen smiled at him. “Sorry to delay you. Go deliver your message.”

Frederick nodded and scurried off. 

_House Wrathwate…_ Owen looked around the room, saw Kieran Wrathwate talking to Gavin’s cousin Gloria, and headed over there. “Evening,” he said, wishing that this silly outfit had pockets for him to put his hands into. Kieran’s outfit had a bow on it too, and he also looked like an idiot in it, so that made Owen feel a little better. 

“It is one of those,” Gloria agreed, holding a wine glass up to Owen in a mock toast. 

“How are you finding the banquet?” Kieran asked him with a slightly drunk smile on his face. 

“More fun than I expected,” Owen admitted, wondering what it said about him that this was what he found fun. “I heard your father provided extra servants to help with tonight,” he said, looking at Kieran. 

He nodded. “The second he heard that the castle staff could use a hand he leapt all over it, practically threw our people at the king. He’s the crown’s treasurer so he pretended it was because he didn’t want them to spend any money hiring anyone else. But it was because he wanted to look impressive.” 

“It is impressive,” Owen said with a smile. Gloria had narrowed her eyes at him a bit. “They’re doing a great job. Do you know them all?”

“Sure,” Kieran bobbed his head. He was more than slightly drunk, Owen was realizing. “Not by name, but I’ve seen them all.”

“Are you sure about that?” Owen asked. “There’s nobody here tonight who you haven’t seen before?”

“Uhh…” Kieran looked around, frowning. “I didn’t look.”

“Kieran,” Owen said, trying to get him to focus. “It’s important.”

“What? Why?”

“Because Owen thinks one of them is here to kill someone,” Gloria said, still watching Owen, whose expression was answer enough. “Kieran, why don’t you and I walk around the room and we’ll just make sure you recognize all the servants, hm?”

“What’s going on? None of my father’s servants would kill anyone,” Kieran protested.

“No, but someone impersonating one of them might,” Owen told him. “And we need to stay quiet about it for now so they don’t get away.”

Gloria nodded. “I’ll handle it.”

“If you find anything, tell Aria,” Owen told Gloria, pointing her out. 

“Where are you going to be?”

Owen smiled, nodded up at the colonnade. “Going for a walk.”

“Ah.” Gloria sighed. “This is why we can’t have nice parties, I swear.” 

“What are you talking about?” Owen asked, as he separated from them. “This is nice. I’m having fun.”

“It won’t be fun if someone dies.”

“Let’s make sure nobody does, then?”

Gloria nodded and pulled Kieran away. Owen sighed, looking around the room. He caught Gavin’s eye and smiled, before heading for the doors.

“Excuse me.”

Owen turned to see another one of the student mages standing there, a handsome blonde guy with a serious look on his face. “Yeah?”

“Is there something the matter?”

“No, why?”

The mage frowned at him. “I’ve noticed that you’ve started moving through the room very quickly, and you’re talking to a lot of different people—and then everyone you talk to has gone off suddenly and started doing something that they weren’t doing before.”

Owen paused, looking at the very observant mage. “What’s your name?”

“Nicholas.”

“One of their chosen three,” Owen said, not a question. He glanced around the room, making sure the other mages were where he’d left them. Isaac had disappeared from the room at some point. “It’s nothing you need to worry about.”

Nicholas nodded. “If someone told you that, would you believe them?”

Leaning back a bit to get a good look at the mage, Owen found himself smiling in spite of himself. “No. I guess we’re all destined to become what we hate someday.”

“I can help you.” Nicholas had a very flat, matter-of-fact way of speaking. 

“Can you?” He looked pretty strong, but Owen doubted he could fight that well.

“I’m a mage,” Nicholas reminded him. 

“A student mage, aren’t you? How much magic do you know?”

“More than you.”

Owen paused, cutting himself off from what he’d been about to say. He chuckled, hiding it behind his hand. “Fine,” he said, still smiling. “You were going to follow me anyway.”

Nicholas was clearly trying not to smile. “What makes you think that?”

“People tried to tell me I wasn’t experienced enough to do things too,” Owen told him, thinking of a very long time ago when he’d left home without even a sword to slay a dragon. “But you don’t get experience without actually doing stuff. Come on.”

“What are we doing?”

Owen glanced at the armed man, made sure he wasn’t looking and gestured for Nicholas to look over at him. “See that guy?”

“Yes.”

“He’s got a knife. We’re looking for his friends.” Owen told him, as they stepped out into the wide hallway leading to the banquet room.

“Why do you think he has friends?”

“If you were going to kill someone important, would you go by yourself?” The hallway was carpeted and lush, with tall windows that looked out over the palace grounds and a series of small rooms off on the other side. Several guards were stationed, and earlier in the night Owen had seen a knight here or there patrolling as well. 

And yet somehow, with all that security, probably several people had gotten in to commit murder. Maybe Owen should start going harder on the knights when he trained with them. 

“I guess not. I’m sure assassins wouldn’t just be standing around in a hallway,” Nicholas offered when he noticed Owen looking around. 

“No, I’m looking for stairs,” Owen told him. “To get up to those rooms that overlook the banquet hall.” 

“Oh, of course. That would be a good place to hide. And if they have a bow and arrow they could shoot from up there.”

“Exactly. Though a crossbow is more likely, it’s hard to be subtle when you’re shooting a bow and arrow unless you’ve got a lot of cover that curtains can’t give you. Plus you can shoot a crossbow laying down.” Nicholas was hardly any younger than Owen was, maybe a year. But suddenly Owen felt old. 

“You talk like you’ve assassinated someone before,” Nicholas said, looking at Owen as they walked. 

“I’m just thinking like someone who would, that’s all.” There were two knights coming at them from the other end of the hall. Squires, looked like. The less ornate armour gave them away. 

“That’s impressive, isn’t it?”

Owen shrugged. “It’s how you stay alive in my line of work. I’m sure it’s not any harder than memorizing a bunch of magic spells.”

“Magic doesn’t really work that way, you know,” Nicholas told him. “The part that you see isn’t the real magic. We just use different types of energy in different ways to create the effect we want.”

“So magic is basically cooking?”

Nicholas blinked. “Well…yes?”

Owen grinned and patted Nicholas on the back. “You’re going to need to get better at fun banter if you’re going to have adventures, Nicholas.” 

“I…didn’t realize that was a requirement.”

“It is, trust me, I know a lot about this.” As they drew closer to those two squires, Owen raised his hand, waving at them. “Edwin, Ty.”

“Owen. You’re sneaking out on the prince?” Edwin asked, eyes on Nicholas a bit. He was flushed in the face, and a little sparkly-eyed. Both of them were, now that Owen looked. He’d known they were friends from seeing them occasionally at the fortress, but Owen hadn’t realized they were together. 

He was happy for them, but sneaking off to have sex somewhere when they were supposed to be guarding the castle was a bit unprofessional, and it might have contributed to how people had been able to get in with weapons. Not that Owen couldn’t sympathize, 

“Nah, Nicholas and I are looking for someone. Are there stairs somewhere? To get up to that second level, where the colonnade overlooks the banquet hall?”

Edwin made a bit of a face, blinking a little. “Uh, yeah.” He pointed behind himself, to the corner he and Ty had just come around. “Around that corner, down the hall a bit, you’ll see them.”

“If you’re trying to get to the colonnade you’ll need to turn right where the hall branches after you get up the steps,” Ty added, his freckled face scrunching. “What’s up there that you need to see?”

Owen opened his mouth to reassure them, but then he took in their armour, and their swords, which were both things Owen wasn’t in possession of at the moment. If it came down to it, the stupid bow wasn’t going to protect him from much. “Killers,” he said.

“What?” Both of them went tense at that in a way that Owen appreciated. At least they were taking their jobs seriously now. Edwin frowned at Owen. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that someone’s here to assassinate Gabrielle and Nicholas and I are going to go stop them.” Owen patted Edwin on the shoulder and passed by him, heading for the corner. “You two can come help if you want.”

“How come they get an invitation but I had to talk you into letting me come?” Nicholas asked as they proceeded down the hallway. 

“They had an unfair advantage—I already know them. This whole industry is based on who you know.”

“What industry? The ‘having a sword’ industry?”

“I think we should get someone on a better name than that,” Owen told him, as they approached the corner. 

“Hold the fuck on,” Edwin and Ty had caught up to them just as they rounded it. Owen could see the base of the stairs from here. “Nobody got through all of this security to assassinate anyone, Owen.”

“Then I’m going to look stupid when we get up there, aren’t I?” Owen asked. 

“A position you’re familiar with?” Edwin asked.

“Intimately. Let’s go.”

“There have been people in this hallway all night. People got checked before they came in,” Edwin insisted.

Owen just nodded along. “Mm-hm.” 

Edwin made an agitated noise behind Owen as he started climbing the stairs. “You don’t _have_ to be an asshole,” he muttered quietly. 

“No, it’s just fun.” 

Nicholas snickered beside Owen, and Edwin didn’t have a retort to that. Someone else who needed to get better at banter. It was a dying art, obviously. 

Owen felt old again.

The stairs were ornate and wide. Owen took them two at a time and lengthened his stride once they were at the top. “Turn right,” he muttered as they came to the hallway’s intersection. The right path led to a corner, turning down into a corridor with three doors. “Less rooms than I thought,” Owen said, heading for them.

“They don’t teach architecture at ‘having a sword’ school?” Nicholas asked as Owen paused in the hallway.

“They might, I skipped an awful lot of classes.” Owen considered the doors, and turned to Nicholas. “Which room would you hide in, if you were a murderer?”

“Uh…” Nicholas considered the doors as well. He pointed at the middle door. 

“Me too.” Owen took a breath, holding up a hand for them all to be quiet and follow him. He pulled open the closest door, taking a step in. It was a biggish room, backed by the curtains that blocked the view, which were weighted so they wouldn’t move much. Chairs were arrayed here and there, and there were a few piles of drapery in the corner. There was nobody here. 

“Maybe if you’d been to those classes you’d know that there’s no point in this,” Edwin suggested to him. 

“Why don’t you believe me?” Owen asked, turning and leaving the room, closing the door behind him. 

“Because you’re crazy.” 

“That’s not a good enough reason.” And it wasn’t the real reason either. Owen smiled, headed for the second room. “And it doesn’t mean I’m wrong. Why the middle room?”

“Why do I feel like I’m being examined?” Nicholas asked, while Edwin rolled his eyes. He had his hand near his sword, though. 

“Why the middle room, Nicholas?”

Nicholas coloured a little, straightening. “Because most people will look in the first room first, and you might hear them. And be prepared for when they come into the middle one.”

“Good. It also gives the best vantage point of the whole room below. The farthest room is a good option as well because it’s the closest to the head of the hall down there, which is where people stand when they want to give self-important speeches. Crossbows are only so accurate.”

“So you think they’re in there?”

Owen smiled, put a hand on the middle door. “Let’s find out,” he said quietly. “Everyone stand back from the door.” 

They did, and Owen pulled the door open, moving with it. There was a twang and a click, and a quarrel from a crossbow buried itself in the wall on the other side of the hallway. Owen nodded at Nicholas, who was suddenly wide-eyed, before turning and taking a long step into the room. 

A similarly appointed room, three people, one holding the crossbow on the floor, one with a short blade, the third unarmed. “Alright, give it up before someone gets hurt,” Owen told them as he entered. 

“Get him,” the woman with the sword said, and the unarmed man raised his hand. Behind him, Edwin swore and Owen heard steel drawing. 

“Owen, look out!” Nicholas said, stepping into the room as well and shouldering Owen aside. A fireball came from the hand of the unarmed man, and beside him Nicholas seemed to pull and twist something. The fire collided with a solid wall in front of them. 

Owen didn’t blink. “Thanks. Stay behind Edwin,” he told Nicholas, stepping out around the shield and rushing at the magic-user. 

As Owen had figured he would, the man used his magic to lift Owen up and toss him backwards, against the far wall. “Ugh.” Owen grunted as he fell. He started to stand immediately, ignoring Nicholas’s call, and now that he was behind the lady with the sword, lifted up the chair that he’d just missed and smashed it into her back before Edwin could reach her. More fire flashed, this time from Nicholas, which Owen thought was a distraction so the magic-user wouldn’t be able to stop Ty from approaching him. 

For his part, Owen turned on the crossbowman, who he saw had just finishing winding up again. “Shit,” Owen said, when the crossbow pointed not at him but at Nicholas. He couldn’t cross the distance in time and wasn’t looking to get shot anyway, so Owen grabbed the chair again and tossed it. 

It hit the crossbowman just in time to throw his aim off, and he cried out in pain as the chair struck his head, and shot his magic-using partner instead, who fell over as Ty hit him with the flat of his sword. 

“Fuck you!” The swordswoman snarled. She’d gotten to her feet and slashed at Edwin, turning and leaping to land on Owen, who sidestepped, wishing he had a sword of his own. She tripped over the tangle of chair and crossbowman in front of Owen, but turned to swing at him. 

Edwin charged at her with a cry, locking blades and pushing her away from Owen. The crossbowman was getting up and pulling a knife out of his shirt. So Owen kicked him in the head, bending over to relieve him of that as his eyes went unfocused. 

He heard Nicholas cry out and looked up to see him with a cut on his face. The magic-user was on the ground but both Ty and Nicholas were bleeding. Owen took a step, and his ankle was grabbed by the crossbowman, making him stumble. 

“Look out,” Nicholas called at him, and Owen saw the gesture from the magic user and whipped the knife as fast as he could. It took the man under his collarbone on the right side, and he cried out again and fell over. Nicholas gestured and the chair suddenly slammed into the crossbowman, whose grip on Owen loosened as he fell unconscious. 

Owen looked up at Edwin and the swordswoman, moving to help. It was too cramped a space to fight with swords but they were managing it, until the woman drove Edwin’s blade over into a wall and went for a lunge at his throat. 

As Owen leapt to stop her with a yell, Edwin let go of his weapon, ducked under the lunge and grabbed the woman around the middle, charging forward. Forward, and through the curtain at the back, right down to the main floor below, from where Owen could hear screams. 

“Edwin!” Ty yelled, racing over to look down and make sure he was okay. 

Owen let him, understanding the need. He’d have done the same if it had been Gavin, even if someone was closer. Instead he looked at the magic-user, who was still groaning in pain. He went over and crouched in front of the man, beside Nicholas, who stayed standing. “You okay?”

“Just a few cuts,” Nicholas’s voice sounded distant. “Nothing serious.” 

“Good,” Owen said, taking the man by the hair. “Trying to kill the princess in her own house was a stupid idea. Who suggested it to you?”

“The princess?” The man was bleary, but he looked at Owen. “No…the mage kid…”

“Really?” Owen looked up at Nicholas again. The colour had drained from his face, leaving just that streak of red where he’d been cut. “Ty, is Edwin okay?”

“Yeah, he’s standing up,” Ty reported, looking through the gap in the curtains. 

“What about their friend?”

“She’s not standing up.” A pause. “It looks like something went down over there too. A bunch of people are on the floor.”

“Anyone important?” Edwin and the woman falling through to the first level would have spooked the killers, Owen guessed. 

“I don’t think so. Some noble lady and a bunch of servants. But they’re all moving. What the fuck is going on?”

“That’s what I’d like to know,” Owen looked back down at the dizzy man in his grasp. He seemed to be coming to a bit. “Who hired you?”

“Fuck you…”

“Nicholas.”

“Yeah?” Nicholas didn’t sound shaky anymore. “What do you need?”

“Can you stop him from using his magic?”

“Uh…no, sorry. I don’t know how.”

“Don’t feel bad.” Owen bashed the magic-user’s head into the floor, knocking him out. Nicholas winced. “I don’t know what happened, because my information was that Gabrielle was in danger, not you.” Maybe Franz had just heard there were assassins and made an assumption. Or maybe… 

“We should check that third room,” Nicholas said, as Owen thought of it. Owen nodded, and gestured for Ty to follow them as well. He grabbed Edwin’s sword out of the wall as he went. It needed a good yank, but it came with him. 

“What are the chances that two groups of assassins would be at the same party?” Ty asked, looking at the two unconscious men on the floor. 

His answer was a loud bang from the other room. “Fuck,” Owen said, breaking into a run in the small room and hurrying out into the hall. 

Just as he and Nicholas made it out, with Ty right behind them, a man fell through the door of the third room, followed by another knight, or training knight. Tall, gangly Leo had his sword out and pointed at the fallen man, who clutched a heavy dagger. He looked up as he saw them coming, blinked. “Oh, hey, Ty,” he said, addressing his friend in a fake-casual tone. “Help me with this? I need to go make sure Isaac’s okay.”

“Isaac?” Nicholas broke away from Owen, worry obvious on his face. He shouldered past Leo to get into the third room, rushing in. 

Owen glanced at Ty, took a step closer to Leo and the fallen man, who was trying to stand. Owen bent down and punched him in the face. “And who are you here to kill?” he asked. 

“Like I’d…”

Owen punched him again. 

“Ow!”

“You suck at being an assassin. Tell me who you’re here to kill, or I’m going to keep punching you.” Above him, Ty and Leo were looking at each other. Leo shrugged and went back into the room. Owen jerked his head for Ty to accompany him. “Tell me,” he said patiently. 

It better have been Gabrielle, or Owen was going to be _pissed._

“The princess!” the thug shouted after Owen hit him again. “We were hired to kill the princess.”

“By who?”

“Don’t know. I don’t know!” he repeated when Owen raised his hand again. “Used a middle man. Never saw who it was.”

Owen sighed. “Okay. Thanks for the help.” He relieved the thug of his weapon and used it to hit the side of his head, knocking him out. He stood and went into the room. 

Leo and Nicholas were helping Isaac stand. He was bleeding from deep cuts on his hands and looked a little shaken, but otherwise okay. There were four unconscious or dead people on the ground and scorch marks everywhere. Ty glanced at Owen as he came in. “Looks like there was another party in here. I get the impression Isaac must have blown up at them.” 

“Ha.” Owen agreed with the assessment, though. “You okay, Isaac?”

Isaac nodded, blood dripping down from his clenched right hand. Those looked like some serious cuts. “I’ve been worse. I don’t remember when.”

“You did all this?”

Isaac looked at the floor. “It was an accident,” he muttered. “I think they were trying to kill the princess.” 

“Yeah.” Owen sighed, looking around one more time. At least someone had stopped them. “Let’s get you downstairs. All of you need healing and that’s where all the magic people are.” 

“We’re magic people,” Nicholas protested.

“Can you heal?” Owen asked, not unkindly.

“…No.” Nicholas looked away with a frown. 

“Don’t feel bad,” Owen told him with a small smile. “It’s an advanced skill.”

“How would you know?”

“Just a guess. Seems like a recipe that would take a lot of ingredients.” 

“Why were all you up here?” Isaac asked, his voice a little clearer than before. He stepped out from under Leo and Nicholas’s arms to stand on his own, shakily.

“Looking for assassins,” Nicholas told Isaac as they left the room. “What were you doing up here?”

Isaac looked around at them, and he glanced at Leo. “I was…also looking for assassins.”

“All five of those guys were hiding in your friend’s pants?” Nicholas asked, sounding impressed. “Wow.” 

While Leo flushed a little and Isaac swallowed laughter, Owen gave Nicholas a pat on the shoulder. “That was much better. You’re learning.” 

Nicholas looked pretty happy about that, if Owen was any judge. Before he could answer, there were boots stomping and a bunch of guards and two knights came rushing around the corner. “What’s going on?” the lead knight demanded, weapon drawn. An older man with light colouring, Owen thought his name was Percival. 

“Sir.” Ty saluted. “We uncovered an assassination plot. It’s been dealt with.”

“Dealt with?”

“Dealt with,” Owen told him, smirking. “If you and your people would be so kind as to restrain these various assholes on the floor, we need to get downstairs. They’re two separate groups, I don’t suggest locking them up together.” 

“Your response time kind of sucks, by the way,” Nicholas told Percival, earning himself a glare. 

Owen shrugged. “He’s right. We’re going downstairs.” And he led all of them past the guards and down the hallway. Percival shared a few quick words with Ty, who then hurried to catch up with them.

“You were right,” Nicholas muttered quietly as they descended the stairs. “It is kind of fun.” 

“It helps to be right while you’re doing it,” Owen said, smiling at him. “Listen, I’d have been a lot more on fire than I like to be if you hadn’t been there. You did really well. Thanks for the help.”

Nicholas glowed a little under the praise. “Thanks for letting me help. It was…well, it was terrifying, but it was…cool. I’d do it again, if you needed a hand.”

Owen gave him another pat. “You’ll be my go-to mage the next time I need one.”

“I’ll try to learn healing in the meantime.” 

“That’d be very helpful,” Owen told him as they finished on the stairs, heading back for the banquet hall. He turned to look at Ty as well. “You as well. Both you and Edwin. I appreciate you believing me.”

“We didn’t.”

“But you came anyway, and that’s the part I appreciate. Thanks, Ty.”

“All part of the job.”

“Yeah.” Owen nodded. “I hope Edwin’s okay.”

“He looked fine,” Ty still sounded worried, which again, Owen understood. He kept pace with Owen though, instead of hurrying ahead like he must want to. 

The doors to the banquet hall were thrown open and several people were milling around outside, talking worriedly. Owen pushed his way through them, everyone else following him. Inside, Gavin and Gabrielle were talking to Edwin and Erik with Franz and their parents, just breaking off as Owen entered. Some of the mages hurried forward seeing Nicholas and Isaac.

“Hey,” Owen said to Isaac before they could steal him away. 

“Yeah?” Isaac sounded a little faint. 

“You saved Gabrielle’s life just then. Even if it was an accident. Thank you.” 

Isaac smiled at him, some of his confidence from before back. “I try.”

“Thanks,” Owen said to Nicholas, before he and Isaac broke off to join all the buzzing mages. The first thing Isaac did was hug another student who was leaning on a cane and looking worried. 

“He gets around, that guy,” Ty muttered.

“I guess.” Owen didn’t really care how much Isaac got around. Nicholas got a hug too, albeit briefer and more awkward. 

Owen intercepted Edwin on his way to Gavin. “You okay?” he asked, handing Edwin back his sword.

“Yeah.” Edwin gave a rueful grin. “I don’t recommend jumping from a second storey window. In case you were wondering.”

Owen laughed, wondering why it was that so many people felt that was a good strategy. “I’ll keep that in mind.” He turned to Erik. “Edwin was extremely helpful in taking down the assassins.” 

“Glad to hear it. Thanks for you service, Owen.”

“Just doing my job.” Owen gave him a nod, clasping Edwin’s hand. “Thank you. Really.”

“Anytime.” Edwin winced, stretching out his back a bit. “Not anytime. But you know what I mean.” 

“I got you.” Owen grinned. “I’ve got to go report to the boss. See you.”

“Yeah.” Owen left Ty with them, heading for Gavin, who was watching him patiently. Franz patted Owen’s shoulder on the way by.

“Rather less subtle than I’d hoped,” he murmured.

“I don’t do subtle.” Owen told him. “Nobody’s dead.”

“That they’re not. Thank you, Owen.”

“Anytime, your Highness.”

Owen nodded at Boey, who returned the gesture. Then, Owen finally managed to come face to face with Gavin. He bowed again. “As requested, sire.”

Gavin smacked Owen on the back of the head, then pulled him up and kissed him fiercely. Owen kissed back, putting his arms around Gavin, and for a few minutes that was all they did. Until Gabrielle cleared her throat from behind Gavin. 

Owen stepped back, reluctantly. Gavin smirked up at him. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. This banquet was a lot more fun than I thought it would be.”

“Aren’t you glad I got you an invite now?”

“I am.” Owen kissed Gavin again, quickly. “Thanks for that. I still could have done without the bow, though.” 

“Are you going to explain what happened?” Gabrielle asked. “Or do I have to suffer through more of this first?”

“I took care of the assassins,” Owen told her, looking away from Gavin. The king and queen were there too, Owen realized. He hadn’t noticed them, and gave a bow. 

“Took care how?”

“Trade secret,” Owen told Gabrielle, mostly just to annoy her. 

“He punched them all until they stopped wanting to kill you,” Gavin told her, smacking Owen’s chest just under the bow. 

“Mostly, yeah,” Owen admitted, chuckling. 

“It seems thanks are in order, Owen,” Gerard said to him, shaking Owen’s hand and patting him on the shoulder. “You saved my daughter’s life. Thank you.”

“No thanks necessary, your Highness,” Owen assured him. He glanced at the queen. “I wouldn’t mind this being counted as one of my three trials, though.”

“We’ll see,” Georgina told him with a small smile. 

“Humour aside, we do need the actual details on what happened here tonight, Owen,” Gerard told him, looking around at the mess of his banquet. 

“What?” Owen asked, holding back another smirk. He took Gavin’s hand in his. “Fancy parties aren’t always like this?”


	36. It’s Unbelievable How Fast Time Passes

It was pouring rain and as much as Owen had hoped that might mean he wouldn’t have to have a bath when he got back to the castle, the mud that covered him nearly from head to toe from his training with the knights more than made up for any sweat that might have been washed away by the weather. So he was forced to stay wet by going down to the castle baths after he got back so nobody would side-eye him for getting mud all over the castle. 

Once he was clean and dressed and halfway dry, Owen made his way through the castle to Gavin’s rooms, which were empty but for a servant girl cleaning up, who told Owen that the prince had gone to the west tower. 

Wondering why Gavin was there, Owen followed his prince, wandering through the castle until he found the stairs that would take him there. As he did, he took a second to reflect on how easily wandering through a castle had become normal to him and shook his head. He’d gone and become a fancy person when he wasn’t looking at himself. 

There was more security around than usual, guards patrolling at shorter intervals, thanks to the attempted assassinations at the banquet four days past. Apparently Susanna’s mother had been charged with orchestrating the attempt, but Gavin was certain she was being framed. None of the thugs Owen, Isaac and company had taken down or the ones who Aria had handled down in the room had said anything but that they’d been hired by middlemen and didn’t know who their real employers were. Owen, at least, was inclined to believe them. If he’d been trying to kill Gabrielle, he wouldn’t have paid the killers himself. 

If he’d been trying to kill Gabrielle, he wouldn’t have hired killers, but that was a different issue. 

Owen took the million stairs in the west tower two at a time, ignoring all the doors he passed on the way up since Gavin never did anything halfway. 

Sure enough, when he got to the circular room at the top of the tower, there was Gavin, leaning on one of the windowsills, looking out at the mountains in the west. He didn’t even look up from his contemplation when Owen came in. “You’re later than I thought,” he said. 

“I had to take a bath when I got back,” Owen told him, heading over to join him at the windowsill. The tower was nothing but windows all around; it had been a watchtower at some point. The only thing in here besides the windows were some decorative weapons that were hung underneath each window. He’d been wrong, it wasn’t really possible to see the mountains in all the cloud cover and rain. “They really need to get flagstones or something at that fortress. Their training yard is just a pool of mud.” 

“I’ll let the knight commander know he should redecorate.” Gavin smiled. 

Owen put his hand over Gavin’s on the windowsill and watched the rain with him. “What brings you all the way up here?” 

“Hm.” Gavin made a bit of a face, looking out at the window. “Just reflecting on my life, I guess.”

“Very philosophical of you.”

“A year ago today I was up in this tower, you know. And a dragon came and snatched me out of it.” Gavin pointed up at the roof. “All of this is new. I guess the must have repaired it after I was gone.” 

“Really, that was a year ago?” Owen asked, blinking. It hadn’t felt like that long. “That means that a week from today it’ll have been a year since I left home with nothing but two coins and a hard-on to go rescue you.”

Gavin chuckled. “And two weeks today since you succeeded.”

“And since we met.”

“And that.” Gavin turned his hand, the one Owen was covering, and he held Owen’s. “The day you changed my life.”

“I’d say the dragon changed it first.” Owen smirked.

A snort. “You changed it for the better.”

“You changed mine for the better too,” Owen told him. He couldn’t fathom what his life would be like now if he hadn’t met Gavin. 

Gavin nodded. “I didn’t love you,” he said, still looking out the window. “Not then, not in the cave. I wanted to fuck you, but I didn’t love you yet.”

“Yeah,” Owen couldn’t remember a time when he hadn’t loved Gavin, even when they hadn’t known each other. But he knew it must have existed. “I didn’t love you either. I was just really horny and you were really pretty and saying yes really enthusiastically.” He took a breath. “Love came later. Not much later.”

“No. It was a few weeks,” Gavin agreed. “I knew when I saw you get hurt fighting those ghouls in that cave. Do you remember that?”

“Yeah, you popped my dislocated shoulder back in,” Owen said, rolling that shoulder a little. 

“You just…” Gavin was looking at the rain as if expecting to see something in it. “You knew it was going to be behind us and you shoved me out of the way so it would get to you first. You knew you’d get hurt but you let it happen to protect me.” 

“Protecting you is the only thing I care about,” Owen told him, squeezing Gavin’s hand. 

“I wish you’d care a little more about protecting you.”

“Says the guy who jumped off a cliff to kill an ice statue.”

“I’m never going to live that down, am I?”

“I have nightmares about that, Gavin,” Owen said quietly. 

“I know.” Gavin sighed. “I’m sorry. Anyway, I knew there, in that cave. That I had to make room in my life for you because I was going to stay with you forever.” 

Owen smiled, so stupidly happy that he couldn’t do anything else. “I knew not long after that too. When I realized how you’d been manipulating everyone into arresting that creepy guy we’d met. I realized all of the sudden that you were…you were the centre of the world.” 

Gavin was a bit misty-eyed now, and he turned to pull Owen into a hard hug. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Owen hugged back, pressing Gavin against his chest. “So much.”

Gavin nodded against Owen’s shoulder. “Hey, Owen?” he asked after a long minute. 

“Yeah?”

“When I was thinking, I realized I never said this properly before.” Gavin stepped back, held Owen’s hand. He took it up and kissed it. “Thank you for saving me from the dragon.” 

Owen smiled at him, switching the grip so he could take Gavin’s hand, kissing it back. “No thanks necessary, your Highness. I’d do it all again.”

“Next time I’d rather the dragon be stopped before it takes me away, I think.”

“You have my solemn word that no dragons will take you anywhere while I’m around.”

“Good.” Gavin smiled. “I’ll hold you to that.” He leaned on the windowsill again, looking out the window.

Owen nodded and leaned with him, and together they stood there, watching the rain.


	37. Start As You Mean to Go on, because Some Things Just Keep Repeating

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thematic occurrence!

The bells started ringing just as Owen and Gavin were returning from lunch. 

“What the hell?” Gavin asked, looking up at the ceiling as if it would give him answers. The bells were faint in the castle, but could still be heard. 

“What is it?” Bells rang periodically in the capital, it wasn’t that strange. Owen didn’t think he’d ever heard these exact ones before, he had to admit. They were lower, more methodical, than the church bells that clanged way too early in the morning every day. 

“Those are the alarm bells,” Gavin said, expression tightening. He turned and headed down a hallway at speed, and Owen followed him.

“Alarm bells. Something’s approaching the city?” Owen suddenly felt like he needed his armour and sword. 

Gavin nodded. “The last time I heard them…well it was when I got kidnapped.”

Owen looked at him. “We should get you somewhere safe. Like a basement or something.”

Gavin shook his head, waved a hand at Owen. “The castle’s a fortress, it’s fine. It’s probably just some mercenary company approaching the walls.” 

“Does that happen?”

“Not often,” Gavin muttered. 

“Where are you headed?” Gavin had turned away from the route that would take them to his apartments. 

“The tower,” Gavin told him. “I want to see.”

Owen scowled. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Something in his stomach was turning over at that. 

Gavin smiled, taking Owen’s hand. “What’s going to get to us in the tower, Owen?”

Owen sighed. Gavin was the smartest person he knew, but sometimes he was really dumb. “I don’t know. I’m getting an image of a big lizard, wings, breathes fire. Like a flying mermaid or something, I don’t…” he shrugged.

Gavin snickered. “What flying mermaid would ever dare attack me with my dauntless companion at my side? It’ll be fine, come on.”

“Okay, okay. I wish I had my sword.”

“You’re overreacting,” Gavin said. They were at the bottom of the tower stairs and Gavin started up them. 

“I have a….weird feeling about this.” Maybe Owen was just paranoid. It was probably nothing. But he had the strangest feeling that they were in danger. 

He guessed the bells were meant to engender that feeling. 

“Let’s see if there’s anything to it before we worry, okay?” Gavin asked, leading Owen up the stairs.

“Yeah, okay.”

The bells were still ringing when they got to the top, and Gavin went to the nearest window and started walking a circuit around the room, eyes on the distance beyond the city walls. It was a clear day today, with visibility for ages. “I don’t see anything,” he muttered after he’d walked all around. Owen didn’t either. 

But the bells were still ringing. 

Owen’s stomach started to feel light. “Gavin, let’s go downstairs.”

Gavin looked at him, at the expression on Owen’s face, and back out the window. “Yeah, okay.”

A shadow passed over the tower for a moment. As if something had flown by the window. 

Owen grabbed Gavin by the arm and pulled him to the stairs.

The tower shook. 

Nothing seemed to move for a moment, no sound in the world. And then the entire eastern wall of the tower burst open, the roof collapsing that way, as a flat, scaled head smashed through the stone, breathing fetid air on them. Black and red, holding yellow eyes with jagged slits. Claws came into view as more of the tower collapsed around it, longer than Owen’s arm. Long horns protruding back from its head. Big, it was big, bigger than the others Owen had seen. A female, he thought distantly, as he backed Gavin up to the wall, reaching down to snatch a sword from a bracket there. “Owen…”

With a hiss, the dragon surged towards them, stone collapsing around her. Owen grabbed Gavin and threw them both to the side, then lay them down and put Gavin under him with a yell as the whole ceiling of the tower started to collapse. 

“Owen!”

“I’m fine.” Owen braced himself against the stone and mortar hitting his back, but fortunately most of the falling masonry landed on the dragon, which served both to shield the two of them from the worst of it and also distract her for at least a few seconds. “We’re going to have to get to the stairs,” he said to Gavin, raising his voice to be heard over the noise. 

“How?” Gavin demanded, white as a sheet. “Owen.”

“It’s okay,” Owen promised, scared. Not for himself, but for Gavin. He could probably fend the dragon off, or at least get away from it, but the idea that something might happen to Gavin was horrifying to consider. But they’d been in dangerous situations before, the two of them. They could do this. He could do this.

The sound of falling stone stopped and the dragon screeched, and Owen looked over his shoulder to see it half perched on the tower, its massive form taking up all available space and then some, and looking down at them. 

A massive claw came down on them from above and Owen tried to roll away form it but failed, and both of them were covered, grabbed, lifted with massive gouging of the masonry, pinned between two claws longer than swords and sharper, glistening around them. Owen swatted at the dragon with his sword, but to no effect. 

With a precision that Owen could have characterized as careful, her other claw came over, separated Owen from Gavin with little difficulty despite how tightly they were holding on to each other, and lifted Gavin higher. “Owen!” Gavin hollered. 

“Gavin!” Owen was dropped to the ground, not interesting to the dragon anymore. He immediately rolled, got to his feet. The dragon was turning now, taking the shouting Gavin with her, and with a flap of wings, she let herself fall from the tower. “No, you _fucking_ don’t,” Owen growled, breaking into a run and leaping from the edge of the tower after the dragon without hesitation, landing hard on her broad back a little below the wings as she tried to gain height. 

The dragon had spines running down her back, laying flat, and Owen grabbed on to them with one hand, keeping a grip on his sword in the other, getting onto his hands and knees as he tried not to let the spines cut him open. The dragon’s back was fairly flat at the moment so Owen took a chance, surging to his feet and running with a shout, up past the flapping wings and onto the dragon’s neck, taking a leap and landing belly first on the dragon’s head, between the horns. 

That got her attention better than Owen landing on her back had. The dragon threw her head, snarling, and Owen’s grip on her was tested, especially since his right hand was full of sword, but he managed it by hooking an arm around the base of her left horn. 

Looking down, Owen could see Gavin, struggling, in the dragon’s right claw. Dragons were careful with the things they liked, he knew. She would make sure not to hurt Gavin as much as she possibly could. Owen didn’t want to spend too much time counting on the gentleness of a dragon, though, so he forced himself to breathe properly, to focus on the head. All he had to do was piss the dragon off enough that she would land on the ground, put Gavin down nicely and let Owen kill her.

Or something.

Owen was a little short on options up here, so he went with the one plan he had—even if it was nuts. Closing his eyes and trying to get a sense of the force the dragon was using to try and buck him off, Owen let himself fall to the side, still hanging on to the horn with his left arm, and swung down to the side of the dragon’s face, in serious danger of losing his grip and falling to his death from higher up than he’d realized they were. 

His momentum took him sideways like a pendulum, and Owen held his sword poised, waiting, waiting for the endless seconds until he passed into the dragon’s field of vision. And then he stabbed the fucking thing right in the eye. 

The dragon roared, violently tossing her head as fire brewed in her mouth. Owen pulled the sword out of its eye and kept his grip on the horn only with extreme difficulty. They dropped, loosing nearly half the tower’s worth of height in a stomach-plunging instant that nearly dislodged Owen from his precarious position as a hanger-on, before a massive effort from the dragon’s wings managed to slow them. The wind was rushing in his ears, the dragon was roaring and screaming and smouldering and flapping, his heart was pounding, but over it all, Owen could hear Gavin shouting. 

Their descent continued in a slower way, but one violent shake of the head Owen was suddenly dislodged and fell with a cry, hit the ground with a thud and felt all the air leave his lungs at once. It hurt like hell but Owen didn’t think he’d broken anything. More concerning in an immediate way was the dragon bearing down on him, and Owen rolled to the side to avoid a heavy front claw and ended up underneath her belly as the ground shook. 

Extricating himself from underneath the dragon, Owen tried a strike at the neck as he was close to it, and found himself hitting a snapping jaw instead. Owen ran as fire blossomed, just avoiding the white plume. She had hotter fire than the last two. 

Panting, Owen came to a halt several feet from the dragon and turned to face her as she roared. From here, she was even bigger than he’d realized, the only thing so far that managed to put the castle in any sort of perspective. She’d caused a lot of damage to the castle’s walls and brick and mortar were still raining down as they fell loose. In her right front claw she still held Gavin. He was looking down at Owen, and there was some blood on his face. 

Owen felt murderous all of the sudden.

Arrows pinged off the dragon’s hide, and Owen looked behind him to see some castle guards with bows. “Stop—you’ll hit Gavin!” he hollered at them, pointing Gavin out since they’d obviously fucking missed seeing him. “Dragon scales are indestructible anyway!”

The arrows didn’t hurt the dragon but they did have the effect of getting her attention and she lowered her head, flames roiling around the edges of her mouth. “Shit. Move, all of you!” 

Owen threw himself to the side just as a blast of flame shot at them, searing the air and leaving a glut of ash in its wake, colliding with an invisible something that protected the panicking guards. 

Before Owen could ask himself, a hand tugged on his, helping him up. “The plan is to go for the neck, yes?” 

Aria. Owen looked at her, wondering how she’d gotten here so fast. But if she’d seen the dragon, she’d have known it was headed for the castle. She had her battleaxe at the ready. Owen shook his head. “The plan is to get her to drop Gavin.”

Aria looked at Gavin in the dragon’s clutches, nodded. “And after that?”

“Then we go for the neck,” Owen said, taking a breath. “We’re going left.”

“Understood. Dragon scales are impervious to magic too, so we don’t have Cleo.”

“Got it,” A second ago Owen had only had himself, so not having Cleo wasn’t bothering him overly. As useful as it might have been. 

Owen charged the dragon and Aria followed him, moving around to the dragon’s blind side. Owen ducked under a poorly aimed swipe from a claw, watched her as she tried to turn her head to see the two of them out of her right eye. 

Fire erupted forth and Owen leapt forward to get behind it, Aria going farther left. As Owen had hoped, now that he had her turning left bodily, it was her right front claw that came up, prepared for a swipe, letting Gavin fall in order to make it happen. Owen leapt forward into the swipe, diving through the gap between the dragon’s claws, rolled forward and ran to Gavin, who was just collecting himself now. Not alone—Franz’s dog was with him. The dragon swung around with a snarl, following him. 

“Gavin.” Owen put hands on him, helped him stand. He was bleeding from a cut somewhere on his scalp, and one on his arm as well. But he was alive. Owen felt the world stop falling out from under him. Beside them, the dog was growling at the dragon. 

“I’m fine, I’m just…Owen!” Gavin pulled at him as fire crackled in the dragon’s mouth again, and Owen heard it more than he saw it.

“Fuck,” Owen pulled Gavin back and the two of them ran as the dragon lowered her head, preparing to shoot. Owen got onto Gavin’s left side and gave him a hard push towards Cleo and the line of guards, himself going right because he was the one the dragon wanted to crisp.

Sure enough, she followed him with her line of white fire, which cut off abruptly with a howl as Aria’s axe struck the dragon in the neck. With a snap of her jaws and a shake that seemed to take her whole body, the dragon drove Aria back several steps before swinging those claws down. 

Aria blocked them with her axe, impossibly standing her ground. Owen took advantage of the opening and ran, ducking under the arm to get under the dragon’s head. The dog ran with him like it was going to attack the dragon and the two of them charged it, only to be confronted with massive jaws when he got close, brimming with fire. “Oh, fuck you.” The dog was growling, and Owen grabbed his collar and hauled him back. 

Even from here the heat of it was burning Owen’s skin and he jumped back, knowing he wasn’t going to get away in time, knowing that he was…

The dragon reared its head with a roar, and it took Owen a second to see the arrow—arrows—in its eye, and to look over and see a battered Gavin, standing even though he must have wanted to collapse, holding one of the guards’ longbows steady and nocked, ready to fire again if he had to. 

Owen had never been so in love with him as he was in that moment.

But he took only a second to appreciate Gavin before turning back to the dragon, who was growling fiercely and preparing a blast of fire that would take aim at Gavin and all the soldiers. Cleo would protect them.

But Owen wasn’t going to risk it. He ran in, got under the dragon’s head. She lowered, preparing to shoot flame. The dog tackled her, causing her to raise her head just slightly.

Owen raised his sword, pierced the soft underside of her neck from below, and gave an almighty wrench to the right side, tearing the dragon open. Hot blood and something else rained down, coated his right side, burning. The dragon roared, writhed, flailed, fell. Owen was knocked back, nearly crushed, by the dragon’s death throes as blood spurted out from the wound, coating the ground. Flame burst erratically from the dragon’s mouth and the sound of her screams filled the castle grounds. Franz’s dog was barking, and pulling Owen away by the arm as Owen tried to stand.

After too long, the dragon finally stopped moving. Owen released the breath he’d been holding. His entire right side felt like it was on fire, but he couldn’t make himself do anything more than turn, face Gavin. 

He staggered forward, towards him, towards Gavin, always facing Gavin. Gavin threw his bow aside and ran to meet him, stopping just in front of Owen. Owen smiled.

“I’ve…I’ve slain the dragon, your Highness. You’re safe now.”

Gavin smiled, eyes shining with tears. He put a hand on Owen’s cheek. “Thank you,” he whispered, before taking that last step, wrapping Owen in a hug that he couldn’t help but reciprocate. Gavin was still here, okay. Both of them were still here, and alive, and okay. It was okay. “Thank you.”

It was okay.


	38. The Trick to Being Rewarded Is not to Expect Rewards

“I didn’t have to nurse you back to health last time you fought a dragon.” 

Owen smiled, winced as that brought pain to his burnt right side. “Funny, I remember you being a great deal of help in my immediate physical recovery.” 

“Cute.” Gavin ducked his head a little, setting the bowl of soup he’d been feeding Owen aside. “Part of me wonders if you’re faking it so I’ll spoonfeed you.”

“Why would I need to do that?” Owen asked, patting Gavin’s leg with his left hand. “You’d spoonfeed me anyway if I asked. “

“Yeah,” Gavin chuckled. “I guess so. I love you.”

“I love you too. More than anything.”

Gavin smiled, gave Owen a careful hug, avoiding his injured side. Owen held him back awkwardly, letting Gavin rest there. He knew Gavin wasn’t getting much sleep. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Gavin nodded, closing his eyes for a second. “I’m okay.” During the dragon’s attack, Gavin’s friend Turner had been killed. “I’m just so glad you didn’t get hurt worse than you did.” 

“Don’t worry about me. I’m invincible.” 

“Good. Because if something happened to you, I couldn’t…”

Owen held Gavin tighter. “Nothing’s going to happen to me.” Turner hadn’t been killed because of the dragon. He’d been murdered. “I’ll be here for you.”

Gavin nodded, and sat there for a minute, quietly. 

There came a knock at the door, and Gavin looked up. “Come in.” 

The door opened, admitting the queen, followed by the king. “Mom, dad.” Gavin straightened a little, but didn’t get up. Both were wearing sombre clothes with elements of green in them. “What are you doing here?”

“We came to speak with Owen,” Gavin’s father said, smiling at Gavin. “Could we borrow him for a minute?”

“The healer doesn’t want him moving,” Gavin said, shifting at Owen’s side. “He’s burnt badly.”

The queen nodded, coming over to get a better look. “We were told initially that you weren’t hurt, Owen.” 

“I wasn’t initially hurt, your Highness,” Owen told them, bowing a little and wincing again. “Dragons breathe fire by igniting a fluid made by a gland in their necks.” Owen let go of Gavin to bring his left hand up to his neck, demonstrating where it was. “When I cut her throat, I hit that gland and got covered in that fluid. It burns, the healers couldn’t totally get it out. They gave me a cream to put on the burnt parts of my skin to encourage the rest of the fluid to break up, but it takes a few days.” Owen’s right arm and chest were covered in bandages, and moving made everything hurt even with the creams. 

“He shouldn’t be moving around,” Gavin said, sounding defensive. “He really shouldn’t even be awake, but he’s too stubborn for that.”

Owen smiled. “I don’t like the way poppy juice makes me feel. One drink at night is enough for me.” It was too much, actually, but Owen wasn’t so proud that he’d refuse to take it and just never sleep for the pain.

“You should be drinking it during the day too, it would help with the pain.”

“And I’d be totally out of it,” Owen said patiently. They’d had this argument a few times already. “I’ll survive a couple of days of discomfort.” 

“Discomfort?” Gavin was giving him that look. The ‘you’re being an idiot’ look. He tapped Owen gently on his right arm, the look intensifying when Owen flinched and pulled away. It really did hurt, kind of a lot. Kind of like being on fire, only all the time.

“In any case,” Gerard interrupted, hands clasped behind his back. “Georgina and I want to extend our thanks to you for saving Gavin. If you hadn’t done it, we might have lost him again.”

“I’d have gone and gotten him back.”

“We know,” the queen said. “But we’re extremely grateful for you stopping that from being necessary.” 

“We’re here to discuss your reward with you, Owen,” the king added. 

“I don’t need a reward,” Owen shook his head a little, shocks of pain running down his neck as he did. He didn’t need any of them thinking that he’d done what he had for any reason other than to keep Gavin from harm. 

Gavin poked him in the belly. “Don’t be an idiot. Of course you need a reward.” 

“I really…”

“We’ll be knighting you, Owen.” That got Owen’s attention, and he turned his gaze back to the king. “In a formal ceremony next week. As a recognition of your devotion and service.”

Beside Owen, Gavin’s eyes had gone wide and he straightened. “Dad…”

“I…” Owen didn’t know what to say. He hadn’t expected this, hadn’t expected anything. “Thank you, but I…”

“Owen, shut up and accept,” Gavin told him.

“Gavin…” Owen knew that Gavin was worried about his reputation, but Owen didn’t care as much about that. He just wanted to be with Gavin. He’d wanted to be a knight once, a long time ago. Now he just wanted Gavin.

“ _Owen._ ” Gavin’s voice went firm. “Shut up and accept. A royal and a commoner…we can’t be together legally, Owen. I don’t give a shit about that, but the law does and there would be endless problems if we tried.”

Owen knew that. He looked away.

“But Owen, _a knight isn’t a commoner,_ no matter where he was born.” 

Owen thought about that for a second, and let it permeate. And when it did, he looked up, feeling light, the constant pain on his right side disappearing completely for a moment. “That means that…”

“You may consider this our blessing,” Gerard said, nodding. “We were…uncertain, for a while, about Gavin’s choice in partner. But you’ve more than proven yourself. It’s clear that you love him completely.”

“I do,” Owen said, a tear coming to his eye as he met the king’s gaze. “I really do.”

“You’re not who I would have chosen for my son,” Georgina told him. “But you’re who he chose—it’s just as clear that he loves you equally as completely. And we want him to be happy. So make him happy.”

“Mom…”

“I will,” Owen promised, putting his arm back around Gavin, holding him there. “I will. Thank you.”

“No, thank you, Owen. I don’t think you have any idea how scared we were when Gavin was taken away,” Georgina said. “But we know that as long as you’re with him, he’ll be safe.”

“He will be,” Owen promised again, nodding. “I’ll keep him safe.”

“We’re counting on you.” Gerard smiled. “Not that it’s a one-way street, Gavin. You keep him safe and happy too.”

Gavin smiled, nodded. “I will. Thank you.”

“It’s easier than having you fight against us for the rest of our lives,” Gerard joked, but it wasn’t a joke and they all knew it. “We’ll leave the two of you be. Get some rest, Owen.”

“I will, sir. Thank you.”

The king and queen left, Georgina giving Gavin a brief hug, and the two of them were alone. Gavin curled into his hug, crying a little. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too.” Owen kissed Gavin on the forehead. He was crying too. 

“Told you getting them to like you would be easy.”

“Yeah, all I had to do was kill a dragon again,” Owen chuckled. “Good thing I’m good at that.”

Gavin laughed a little, entwining his hand in Owen’s. “ _Sir_ Owen the Dauntless.”

“That’s me. Apparently.” Owen considered. “The sellswords are going to be pissed. They thought I was one of them.”

“They’ll live. Nothing can take you away from me now, Owen.”

“I know.” Owen kissed him again. “And nothing can take you away from me either.” 

“I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy.”

“Me either.”

They sat there in the bed, together. Inseparable.


	39. Gift Giving Is a Nice Way to Show Appreciation to People who Care about You

Owen winced as he did up the black coat that had appeared from somewhere in his room, then looked at himself in the narrow mirror. He looked pale, except for the blotches of red on his face where he hadn’t totally healed. But suitable for a funeral. 

At least he could move around again, even if he still had fading burns on his left side. A few more days, he was assured in increasingly short tones when he asked, usually coupled with gentle reminders that he was the one who’d doused himself in acid.

He looked as put together as he was going to. He even had little silver buttons on his cuffs, which Owen thought were a little too fancy for a funeral, but whatever.

He set out, heading for Gavin’s rooms to meet him there. Owen spent very little time in his own room anyway, but the tailors had brought his funeral garb there for some arcane reason. 

Owen nodded at the guard on Gavin’s door, who knocked once and let him in without a word. 

Gavin was sitting inside, at the little dining table he had, also dressed in black. He looked up when Owen came in, smiled sadly. “Hey. You look nice.”

“So do you.” Owen came over, put a hand on Gavin’s shoulder, rubbed him. “You okay?”

“No, but I will be.” Gavin sighed. “They have no idea who killed Turner, you know. Franz was with him, and Turner’s family thinks he was responsible.”

Owen shook his head, sat down beside Gavin. “I don’t think so. He doesn’t seem like the type to just kill someone, you know?” He didn’t really know Franz all that well, but still. 

“I know. I don’t think so either. Hopefully he can furnish some proof that he wasn’t responsible.” Gavin sighed, then looked back up at Owen. “I have something for you.”

“Yeah?” Owen asked. “You didn’t have to get me anything.” Gavin had gotten him the clothes he was wearing at the moment.

“But I did anyway, come here.” Gavin took him by the hand, drew him towards the reading room he had in the back of his apartments. “Good thing you went away, I had it brought in while you were gone. Where’d you go, anyway?”

Owen smiled. “It’s a secret.”

“Oh?” Gavin quirked an eyebrow. “That makes me want to pull it out of you. Meeting up with your secret lover?”

“Something like that.” Owen kissed Gavin on the cheek. “I got you something too.”

Gavin frowned. “Why?”

“Because I wanted to.” Owen couldn’t help but keep smiling. “It’s not ready yet, though. I’ll give it to you as soon as I can, okay?”

“You don’t need to buy me things, Owen.”

“You don’t need to buy me things either, Gavin. And here we are.”

Gavin chuckled. “Okay. But it’s not going to be as good as this, trust me.”

Owen doubted that, but he let Gavin pull him into the room, where a tall wooden crate was sitting there as innocuously as a tall wooden crate could sit in the centre of a room. Owen looked at it as they approached. “What is it?”

“Why don’t you open it, dumbass?”

Owen rolled his eyes. The crate had a latch on the front, and he opened it, carefully letting the front fall open. Then he stepped back, eyes going wide at what was in there. 

A suit of armour, almost all black, but with what seemed to be a red sheen across the surface. It was a full suit, complete with helmet, which had two long horns curving out from the top. “Holy fuck,” Owen said quietly, stepping closer to inspect it. It was scale mail, he saw as he looked closer. In fact… He turned to Gavin. “These are her scales.”

Gavin nodded, looking a little apprehensive. “Dragon scales are indestructible, right? It was a hell of a task to get them made into armour this quickly, let me tell you. There’s a suit of lighter armour coming too, but I wanted this one to give to you as soon as I could.”

“Gavin…” Owen didn’t know what to say. “I can’t…I can’t wear this.”

“Of course you can.” Gavin patted him on the cheek. “Sir Owen. A knight should have a proper set of armour. And a fancy sword, too.” He stepped around the crate, came back with a heavy-looking sword in a scabbard, handed it to Owen. 

It was beautiful, the hilt made of what Owen took to be blackened bone, and when he pulled the blade free, it was also black, and rang like no metal he’d ever heard. It was light, double-bladed, long. It felt right in his hand, like it had been made for him. Which Owen supposed it had.

“Dragon bone is stronger than steel, you know,” Gavin told him. “Or at least so they say.”

“How did you even do this?” Owen asked, looking down at the blade. It was balanced perfectly, double-edged, and sharp enough to cut air. 

“I paid someone a lot of money to do it for me.” Gavin looked up at Owen. “Do you like it?”

“It’s amazing, Gavin.” Owen sheathed the sword carefully, and turned, knelt in front of Gavin, holding the sword out in front of him as he bowed his head. “I’ll try to be worthy of it.”

Gavin laughed, but Owen was serious. He’d kneel properly before the king in a few days, but Gavin was the only person he was interested in serving. Gavin must have seen that because he took the sword, unsheathed it and carefully tapped Owen on the shoulder. “You already are.”

Owen smiled, stood. Gavin handed him back the sword and Owen put it away. “I hope you commissioned some armour for yourself, too.” The world was way too dangerous for Gavin not to be well protected.

“Yep, and a whole lot of arrowheads.” Gavin smiled at him, and he leaned in to kiss Owen. “She gave off quite a lot of scales. Lots of people are going to get dragon scale armour.”

“And here I thought I was special,” Owen said with a smirk, taking Gavin in his arms. 

“You are. That’s why you get it now and not in a few months.” Gavin straightened Owen’s coat. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“We should get going. It’s bad form to be late for a funeral.”

Owen nodded. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

“Can I hold your hand?”

“Of course.”

They walked out together, hand in hand.


	40. Inevitability Is Sometimes a Good Thing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been waiting for this one for a long time.

Owen stood by himself, dressed in white, looking at the closed doors to the throne room, trying to breathe normally. 

He fiddled with something in his pocket as he waited. Waited for the doors to open, waiting to be escorted in. Waiting to be knighted, and everything that went with that. Waiting to be with Gavin.

Owen had never been a really patient guy. 

He’d kind of wanted to wear his armour, but apparently that was not allowed. There was a whole script for knighting someone, and as much as both he and Gavin had considered breaking with it, they’d ultimately decided it was better to follow it to the letter, to make everything formal and official. They could do what they wanted once that was done. 

A knock sounded from the other side of the doors, and Owen stood straighter. That was the signal to let him into the throne room, and the guards pulled the doors open. Owen let a small frown cross his face as he watched them. Servants should do that, to keep the guards free in case of an attack. It wouldn’t take much for Owen to jump one of them while they were busy on the door and then take advantage of the open doors to run in at the king. 

Once he was a knight, Owen was going to start bringing this shit up when he noticed it. It was like they wanted to get murdered in this castle. And since someone recently had been murdered, he really would have thought they’d pay more attention to security. 

The doors were open, and Sir Devin was standing there waiting for him. “Follow me.”

Owen nodded, and he did, letting Devin lead him down the long carpet that led to the throne, past rows of pillars. There were a lot of nobles about, and several knights as well, but it wasn’t too full. Someone was playing a trumpet. The throne room had tall windows up high that let in a lot of light, and at the end on a wide dais sat the throne, carved from dark wood into whirling patterns. The king was sitting in it, dressed in full regalia, which Owen had never seen. Formal dress, his crown and rings on, a sceptre across his lap. The queen was similarly bedecked, and Owen was struck by the thought that she looked more regal than her husband did.

Gabrielle was standing to the king’s right, and Gavin to his mother’s left. Prince Franz was on Gabrielle’s other side. 

At the foot of the dais, the dignified old knight commander was standing, holding the dragon bone sword that Gavin had given Owen. Devin moved off to stand behind him, and Owen turned to face him. He held the sword out to Owen in both hands. “Do you accept this blade, and swear to use it to defend the throne, the realm and all good people who live under their protection?”

“I do, sir.” Owen nodded. 

The knight commander nodded as well, and gestured for Owen to take the sword. “Then take it, and be knighted.”

“Thank you.” That wasn’t in the script, but Owen whispered it anyway, and took the sword. He knew what he was supposed to do, Gavin had made sure to drill it into him fifty times before he’d left earlier. Owen turned back to the throne, saw that the king and queen were standing now. The trumpet had stopped, but Owen’s heart was providing a drumbeat. The king waved him forward, up onto the dais, and Owen took a step up, then one forward, and then knelt. “Your Majesty,” he said, remembering the words Gavin had kept making him repeat. “I offer my blade, my shield, my life to you. To serve and protect you and your people until my final breath.” He offered up the sword in both hands, looking at the carpet. 

Gerard’s feet appeared in his vision, and the sword was lifted out of Owen’s hands. “Do you swear on this blade to devote your life to protecting the innocent, to fighting evil and to righting injustice wherever you so see it?”

“I do, your Majesty.”

“And do you swear on your life that you will never waver in that vow, that your duty will be your goal and service your calling?”

“Yes, your Majesty,” Owen said, nodding. “I do.”

“And do you swear on your soul eternal that you will make any sacrifice asked of you, not withhold anything, that your entire God-given person will be directed to upholding these vows?” The king’s voice was completely different than Owen had ever heard it before. He sounded like a king, and not like Gavin’s dad. 

“I swear it, your Majesty.”

“Very well.” Gerard was silent for a moment, and another pair of footsteps sounded. A cork popping out of a small bottle. “Then be anointed as one of our holy order,” the king said, as more feet entered his vision. Gavin’s feet. That wasn’t in the script. Owen closed his eyes as Gavin poured the oil on his head, enough that it ran down his face. Gavin stepped back. 

“And be knighted, bestowed honours and rank befitting the vows you have made.” The sound of his sword coming out of its sheath filled the throne room. The blade came down and rested on Owen’s left shoulder, then his right. It retreated, as the king put the blade back in its sheath. He handed the sword back to Owen. “Rise, Sir Owen the Dauntless. Take your sword and use it to defend this kingdom.”

Owen took a breath, raised his head and took the sword back. He swallowed. That was the end of the script. 

“If you don’t mind,” Owen said to the king, with a glance at Gavin, “there’s something I’d like to say while I’m down here.” 

Gerard raised an eyebrow, but he nodded. Owen smiled at him, and turned to face Gavin, who was still standing right there. “Gavin.” Owen paused for a second, taking another breath. Dragons and wizards and monsters and assassins be damned. He’d never been this nervous before.

He put his sword at Gavin’s feet. 

“Owen…”

Owen shook his head, looking up at Gavin. He was so beautiful, framed in sunlight from the tall windows, all dressed up, hair combed. He was looking down at Owen. 

“Gavin,” Owen said. “I love you. I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone in the world. You change my life every day that you’re in it, and I can’t imagine living in a world where I wasn’t by your side.” Owen took a breath, slipped his hand into his pocket for a minute and then removed it, leaving the pocket empty. “You mean more to me than I could ever say, than I could ever express, than I could ever prove. Everything I do, Everything I do is for you, Gavin. I want nothing in the world except for you to be happy, you to be safe, for you to be with me. I want you to be with me, and I want to be with you, and I don’t want anything to ever separate us. Gavin.” 

Owen could feel tears collecting in his eyes. He opened his hand, held out the silver ring he’d had made. Quiet, so only Gavin could hear, he asked, “Will you marry me?”

Gavin had to have known, had to have seen it coming, but his gasp filled the throne room, his eyes went wide. He was shaking, hands up in front of his mouth. His eyes were watering. He dropped to his knees and hugged Owen fiercely, tightly, passionately, kissing him once, long. He was crying as he nodded. “Yes,” he said, voice a quaver. “Yes, of course I’ll marry you, you…I love you so much. I love you, I love you _so much_ , Owen.”

“I love you too, Gavin. More than anything.”

“More than anything,” Gavin promised. Taking gulps of air in, he let Owen go, leaned back, and held out his left hand.

Owen smiled, blinking his vision clear, and held up the ring, held Gavin’s hand, slipped the ring onto his finger. Gavin looked down at it on his hand, eyes watering again. He brought the ring up to his lips, kissed it. Owen took his hand back, and did the same. Gavin smiled at Owen, then nodded over his shoulder. 

Owen looked over, at the king, who was still standing there. He cleared his throat. “I know that I’m technically supposed to ask your permission first,” he said. “But I wanted to make sure I had Gavin’s yes before anything else.”

Gerard nodded, held out his hand. Georgina joined him. “You have our blessing, both of you,” she said. 

Owen nodded, squeezing Gavin’s hand. “Thank you.”

Gavin started to stand, grabbing Owen’s sword, and pulled Owen to his feet as well. Gavin hugged both his parents, and Owen was a little surprised when both the king and queen hugged him as well. When he disengaged from the king, Gabrielle was there, Gavin’s arms around her. When he let go, she took a step forward, and held out her arms. The scattered nobles had applauded, and were now subsiding into whispers.

Owen hugged Gabrielle, just for a moment before she stepped back. “That was the last time that’s going to happen. You’ll salute me from now on.”

Owen laughed, nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“Congratulations, Owen. Make him happy.”

“I will,” Owen swore. 

Beside Gabrielle, Franz offered Owen a hand, which Owen shook. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you.”

“I believe that Commander Stormhowe wanted a few minutes with you after the ceremony, Owen,” Gerard said, smiling at them. “But I have a feeling he’ll wait, since I suspect you and Gavin would like to talk alone.”

Owen very much wanted to have Gavin alone right now. He nodded, and saw Gavin do the same, more vehemently. 

At the foot of the dais, the knight commander cleared his throat. “Given the circumstances, I can wait. I expect you to report to the fortress at dawn in three days’ time, Sir Owen.”

Owen saluted him. “Yes, sir. Thank you.”

“And congratulations.”

Owen just smiled, and looked at Gavin. Gavin looked back. “We’re going to go now,” Gavin said to his parents. “We have a wedding to plan.”

He started to pull Owen off the dais, but Owen grinned, bent over and scooped Gavin off his feet, carrying his laughing prince in his arms, Gavin still holding Owen’s sword, and walked out of the throne room like that. 

He carried Gavin all the way to their rooms. Nothing had ever been so easy.


	41. Celebrations of Momentous Events Tend to Be Pretty Predictable

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How else were they going to celebrate?

“I can’t…” Gavin giggled a little as Owen kicked the door shut with his foot. “I can’t believe you did that.” He leaned up and kissed Owen gently, wrapping arms around his neck even as Owen continued to hold him up. 

Owen kissed Gavin back, leaning against the door a little. “You’ve known me long enough not to be surprised.” He felt bubbly, elated.

“You were afraid to talk to my parents when you got here!” Gavin slid down, out of Owen’s arms, resumed the kiss for a minute. “And right in front of everyone. At your knighting ceremony, in the throne room. You asked me to marry you and I…” Gavin’s breath caught and he looked like me might start crying again. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” Owen said, holding Gavin, kissing him, feeling him pressed up close. “I love you too. It was worth potentially being beheaded.”

“You’re going to be my _husband_.” Gavin let out another giggle, untangling one arm from Owen so he could look at the ring Owen had given him. “We’re getting married. Oh my God. I’m just so, I’m just so stupidly happy, Owen.” He still had Owen’s sword in his other hand, and he put that down, leaning it beside the door. 

“Me too, God.” Owen grinned at Gavin, not able to do much else. His stomach felt ready to leave his body and fly away. “I was so fucking nervous.”

“You said getting beheaded was worth it,” Gavin teased.

“That you’d say no.” Owen knew Gavin loved him. But a part of him couldn’t help but worry. 

“God,” Gavin giggled, resting his head on Owen’s chest for a minute. “Of course I wouldn’t. We get to be together forever now. Nobody can stop us.”

“They can try,” Owen said, arms around Gavin. “They can try all the want.”

“I’d rather they just didn’t.” They stood there like that, holding each other, for a good few minutes. It was nice. It was the best thing in the world. It was all Owen wanted for the rest of his life. 

“You should take off your clothes.”

Okay, maybe there was one other thing that Owen wouldn’t mind having added to the mix. 

“So should you.”

“Yeah.” Gavin leaned up to kiss Owen some more, though, his hands wandering to get Owen undressed instead of himself. Fortunately, the light tunic and pants he’d been wearing for the ceremony were loose, and Gavin didn’t have any trouble getting the shirt over Owen’s head and starting on the pants, while Owen tried to do something similar to the much fancier and more elaborate clothes Gavin was wearing. 

By the time Gavin got Owen out of his pants, Owen had had enough and he just tore the neckline of Gavin’s shirt so it would fit over his head, then reached down and did the same with the front of Gavin’s pants to make those easier to get off. “I like those clothes,” Gavin mumbled between kisses, pressed up against Owen as Owen undressed him. 

“Hire a tailor. Tell him to make them easier to take off while he’s fixing them,” Owen suggested, pushing all of the fabric away until Gavin was just in his smallclothes. Gavin had made no effort to take Owen’s smallclothes down, and he was kicking off his boots along with his pants, stepping forward to press Owen even harder against the door, mashing their bodies together. 

Owen felt that those two layers of fabric were in the way, but there was no opportunity to tell Gavin that as he redoubled their kiss, making talking very hard. Especially for the grinding of his hips that Gavin was doing, which Owen couldn’t help but reciprocate, creating a lot of nice friction. 

Gavin’s hand was on the back of Owen’s head, pulling his hair, and his other on the small of Owen’s back, flirting with the idea of going lower but never doing it. Owen retaliated by keeping both his hands firmly above the belt, wrapping them around Gavin’s bare back and using them to pull Gavin further into him, further and further. He was breathless, floating, lost.

Owen came with a noise that he fed Gavin, and he couldn’t help but hold him tighter, pull him closer, buck his hips harder as he made a mess of his smallclothes. Before he was even finished Gavin was making that noise back at him, the muscles in his back all going stiff as he exploded as well. 

Gavin pulled back from Owen, panting and looking up at him with half-lidded eyes. “You came first.”

“Look in a mirror, I don’t think you’ll blame me,” Owen said with a smirk, hands on Gavin’s shoulders. 

“Means I get to top.”

Owen wondered when they’d made that rule. “You could have topped without me coming first. All you had to do was say you wanted to.”

“It was more fun this way.” Gavin kissed Owen on the chin, hands sliding down to lower his smallclothes. 

Owen sprang free, still hard and ready, and Gavin smirked as he crouched down to pull his wet smallclothes the rest of the way off, all the way down to his ankles. Owen stepped out of them, one foot at a time, and looked down at Gavin. “I guess it is more fun.”

Gavin gave Owen’s head a kiss, then licked his fingers, maintaining eye contact with Owen the whole time. It took all of Owen’s willpower to stand there and let him move, slowly, licking his fingers as obscenely as he possibly could, then sliding them up, behind Owen, and poking around. He gave Owen another kiss as the first finger slid inside, and he stood fluidly, planting his next kiss on Owen’s collarbone as he poked a second finger around already. 

Owen managed to keep his composure as that finger pushed inside alongside the first, but when Gavin immediately started teasing a third one he made an involuntary noise. “You want me to slow down?” Gavin asked, voice low.

“Didn’t say that,” Owen answered, smiling at the feeling. “My self-control is about to break, though.”

“Hm.” Gavin pushed Owen back into the door, pinning him there with one hand. “I suggest you keep a handle on it, Sir Owen.” 

“I’ll see what I can do, your Highness.”

“Good.” Gavin smirked, pushed that third finger in. “I wouldn’t want to have to find myself another knight after all the work I’ve put into you.”

“I wouldn’t want you to either,” Owen said, squirming a little bit as Gavin nudged the right spot inside him. “Breaking knees is so much work, and if that didn’t convince him, I’d have to arrange an accident...”

“Good thing I’m about to be stuck with you forever, then.”

“Good thing,” Owen agreed with a nod. 

“Turn around.” Gavin pulled his fingers out all at once, and was pushing his smallclothes down. 

Owen smiled, did as he was told, leaning against the door. Gavin put a hand on his shoulder and Owen felt him at his hole, a moment’s warning before he slid inside with a haste that bordered on rough, letting out a low noise as he did. It stung but Owen liked that, and when Gavin was all the way inside, he let out a satisfied breath onto Owen’s shoulder. “There we go.”

“I like that…” Owen breathed. He always liked it.

“Then you’re really going to like this.” Gavin started moving, not bothering with starting slow, driving right to the rhythm that he and Owen both liked. 

“Fuck...”

“That’s the idea, yeah…”

Words got kind of hard, and Gavin reached around to wrap his hand around Owen’s cock, stroking in tune with his thrusts, the air filling with the sound of their breathing and the smell of their sweat as Gavin went unrelentingly at Owen, fucking him into the door until…

“Ah…” Owen came first again, Gavin’s hand helping him along, and made a mess all over that hand and the door in front of him. “Fuck…”

“Owen…” Gavin whinged, just as he started to fill Owen with heat. 

When they finished, Gavin slumped a little, still inside Owen, hugging him from behind. “Love you…”

“Love you too.”

“Bed?”

“Always good.” Not, Owen knew, for sleeping. 

“Mm.” Gavin pulled out, took Owen’s hand to guide him over to the bedroom, swaying his hips as they went. 

Owen watched those hips, holding back as long as he could, but his willpower broke and he wrapped his arms around Gavin from behind, pressing up behind him, wrapping a hand around his hard on. 

They were halfway to the bedroom.

“Owen…” Gavin laughed.

“Can’t wait that long,” Owen muttered, kissing Gavin’s neck, starting to stroke. “Bedroom’s too far away.”

“Yeah,” Gavin panted, closing his eyes and grinding his hips back against Owen’s cock. “Big design flaw.”

Owen let out a hiss of breath onto Gavin’s shoulder, continuing his kissing. Without a door to keep them up, both of them went a little weak in the knees and fell together, Owen holding Gavin from falling right onto his face even as he starting stroking Gavin faster, grinding Gavin back. 

“Ng, Owen…” Gavin came in his hand, and on the floor. Owen didn’t stop moving, keeping at it for another minute until he was done too, squirting all over Gavin’s backside with a small bite to his collarbone. 

He held Gavin there for a second, panting, feeling his body. Loving him. “You came first this time.”

Gavin smiled, got free from Owen’s grip and lay on his back on the floor, holding his knees apart. “I guess you know what to do.”

“Big sword, Gavin, I know.” Owen’s fingers were already wet and so was Gavin’s butt, so he just used all of that convenient mess as lube and quickly fingered Gavin open, going fast but being careful, watching Gavin pant and writhe underneath him. He knew Gavin’s body language well enough to know when it was safe to insert the second finger, at which time he went about unfailingly prodding Gavin’s prostate, until he started to draw little yelps from Gavin. Only then did Owen add his third finger. 

Gavin’s face was flushed, his eyes closed, and his whole body was tense as Owen kept fingering him, keeping close to the prostate as often as he could, really exploring. Taking his time. 

“Owen…” Gavin sounded a tad desperate, and Owen could tell he wasn’t far from coming again, so Owen pulled his fingers out, leaned down and kissed him gently. 

“Ready, love?”

Gavin nodded. Owen ran a hand down his cheek, kissing him again, and he pushed inside Gavin in one motion. Gavin cried out. “Owen!”

“I know.” Owen panted, feeling with every fibre of his being like he was in the right place, like he was doing something exactly right. He looked down at Gavin, stars in his eyes, and he started moving, kissing along Gavin’s collarbone as he did.

Since he’d gotten Gavin so close with his fingers, it was only a matter of time before his prince was arching his back, crying out again and shooting all over his chest and belly. Owen stopped, watching him. “You good?”

“Keep going,” Gavin panted, nodding his head. 

Owen did as he was told, moving slowly, or at least as slowly as he could, his hand around Gavin’s back as he made love to Gavin, watching him the whole time, except for when he had to break to lean down and kiss him some more. 

Gavin was vocal in expressing his pleasure, vocal but not loud, not yet, just keeping up a string of low moans and other noises that filled the air around them as Owen thrust in and out. Some of what he said sounded like words. Most of it didn’t. 

As Owen felt himself getting closer, he could see Gavin was too, and reached down and started to play with Gavin’s head between two fingers to help him along. Now Gavin got loud, crying out something that might have been a curse word or a prayer or Owen’s name or all three, and that was exactly how Owen felt too, and his orgasm came slowly, creeping up on him, building in the pleasure that was this, that was Gavin, that was their love, and when it hit him Owen didn’t realize at first until he heard his own voice added to Gavin’s. Gavin came again too, adding to the already existing mess on his front. 

The collapsed a little, Owen on top of Gavin but holding himself up with an arm so he didn’t crush him, looking down at him like he didn’t, couldn’t, wouldn’t, look at anyone else in the world. “You’re so amazing.”

“Now who needs to look in a mirror?” Gavin asked, breaking into a chuckle. 

They lay there for a second, panting, breathing, sharing air. Recovering, drinking in each other’s presence. Once he thought he could stand up, Owen pulled out of Gavin with a groan, and helped his prince stand. “Try again?”

“For the bed? Yeah, let’s.”

This time they managed to stagger all the way to the doorway to the bedroom before Gavin suddenly grabbed Owen, pushed him up against the doorframe, pinned him there. He looked up at Owen, flush and panting, sweaty and shining. He was beautiful. 

“Gavin?”

“Yeah…” 

Owen couldn’t help but break into a tearful grin, because this was all his, forever. “We’re getting married.” Part of it still didn’t seem real. 

“I know.” Gavin swallowed, tears coming to his own eyes as he got up on his toes and kissed Owen. “I can’t wait.”

His hardness was pressed against Owen. “I have a feeling we’re not getting to the bed this time either.”

“No.” Gavin pressed closer, closer, closer to Owen. They would always be close, always be together. “I don’t think so either.”


	42. The First Day of Work at Your Dream Job Is a Fun Experience

Owen hummed to himself as he made his way to the fortress. It was only the early autumn but already it was brisk in the mornings, which he certainly liked more than the awful heat from the summer, even if part of him was just slightly worried about another endless winter. 

He’d already done that once, and Owen wasn’t really sure he could be bothered to kill another wizard in another floating ice castle. Or the same one. They really should have gotten rid of the one from before; that had been shortsighted of them. 

Maybe they should have tried lighting it on fire.

Anyway, Owen liked that it was brisk. It helped him wake up, though Gavin had also done that earlier. He was so considerate and perfect. Owen was a little daunted—ha—at the fact that someday they’d be married and wake up every day like that. 

But he was up to the challenge. 

The gates to the fortress were open, so Owen wandered up to them, peering around for guards. There were two up there on the wall, watching Owen warily. He waved at them. 

“There you are.”

Owen looked up, smiled at Sir Devin, standing there in the entrance. “I hope I’m not late.”

“You’re ten minutes early. I expected you to be earlier, eager as I figured you were.”

Owen had been eager for other things first. “Do you always leave the fortress gates open like this?” 

Devin looked at him, something like a smile playing on his face. “Often.”

“Seems dangerous.” 

“Maybe, but who’s like to attack a fortress full of knights?” Devin frowned, looked up at the gates. “Who’s like to attack us that’s deterred by doors, that is.” 

They’d been attacked, apparently, by a demon during the dragon attack. “You lost a lot of people, I hear.”

Devin nodded. “Thirty-eight. Sir Byron and his Harvey among them, and Sir Graham as well. Sir Simon the master-at-arms, Sir Deborah, who was supposed to replace the knight commander when he retired. Nine squires, just kids.” Shaking his head now. “We’re a mess.”

“I’m sorry.” They would all have been people Devin knew and worked with, he knew. Owen wondered if Aria knew about Sir Graham. He wondered how Evan was doing.

Devin shook his head. “We’re lucky Edwin showed up when he did.”

“Edwin did?” Owen hadn’t heard that part. 

“Magic sword and all. Killed all the damned things with it.” 

“Hm.” Owen wouldn’t have expected that. But on the other hand, Edwin seemed pretty competent to him. When he wasn’t letting assassins sneak into the castle so he could get off. “Didn’t have him pegged for the ‘magic sword’ type.”

“None of us did. What matters now is putting back together what’s still here,” Devin said, leading Owen into the courtyard. “Which brings us to you, Sir Owen.”

Owen tried not to smile at the title. “What do you need me to do?”

“I’m in the process of putting Gabrielle’s retinue back together, what with half of us dying in the attack. I’ve also been tasked with putting one together for Gavin.” 

Devin paused there, as if expecting Owen to protest. But Owen just nodded. “That’s a good idea. I can’t always be there to protect him.” As much as he wanted to be. “More swords never hurt. Or rather, they do hurt, but the people we don’t like.” 

“Our thinking as well,” Devin said with a nod. “You’ll be part of that retinue, of course.” Devin gave him a bit of a smile. “Though, as prince-consort, you technically need protection too. Congratulations, by the way.”

Owen grinned now, giddy all over again. “Thanks. We won’t be doing anything for a while—it’s apparently bad form for us to get married before Gabrielle does.” Which Owen thought was stupid, but there were traditions to be obeyed and Gavin hadn’t moved on that. 

“Good,” Devin grunted. “For the time being, you’ll lead Gavin’s retinue, but ultimately someone senior to you will take command, at least until you’re off probation.”

“Probation?” Owen hadn’t heard about this.

Devin nodded. “Your commission was merit-based, but luck can earn merit. You show us killing that dragon wasn’t a fluke, and you’ll lose probationary status.”

Owen snorted. “Two dragons aren’t luck, but sure. Point me at some more and I’ll prove it as many times as you want.” 

“I think we’ll try to find something a little less extreme for you to do. In the meantime you’ll be assigned duties common to all of us. Street patrol, guard duty at the castle, that sort of thing. You seem to like beating on the squires and we’re short a master-at-arms, so until we’re assigned a new one you may find yourself doing a lot of training.”

That worked just fine for Owen. “Anything you need me to do,” he repeated. “Sir Owen the Probationary is here to help.”

Devin smiled a little. “Keep an eye out for anyone you think would be a good fit for Gavin’s retinue. I’ve got some ideas, I know who’s competent. But there’s also the matter of who he’ll be able to put up with. He’ll be seeing them a lot, and you know better than I do who he’ll be able to be around without getting annoyed.”

Gavin would damn well be around whoever he had to be in order to keep himself safe. But Owen understood, and he nodded. “I’ll keep my eye out.” 

“Do that,” Devin agreed, waving Owen into the fortress. “The knight commander’s tasked me with showing you around the fortress first off.”

“Babysitting again? You must be too busy for that shit,” Owen observed.

“I am. But I offered to do it. I’m proud of you.”

Owen coloured a little, looked at his feet. “Thanks.”

In the doorway of the fortress proper, Devin nearly collided with Sir Erik, Edwin in tow. “Excuse me,” Erik said, moving to the side with Edwin. 

“Not at all.” Moved past him, taking them both in. Erik and Edwin were both lightly armoured, weapons belted on. Edwin was wearing a longsword, which Owen hadn’t seen him with before. “You’re up for training early today.”

“Edwin insisted.”

Owen guessed by the look on Edwin’s face that Erik had insisted, but he smiled. “I heard you’ve got a magic sword,” he said to Edwin.

Giving him a suspicious look, Edwin nodded. “Heard you killed a dragon.” 

Owen shrugged. “They’re not as scary as they seem.” They were scarier, but there was the whole bravado thing. 

“Obviously,” Edwin muttered quietly, looking away. “Seems like you’re overcompensating for something.”

“You’re the one who started using a bigger sword,” Owen reminded him, politely. “Size doesn’t really matter, Edwin.”

Face staining with red, Edwin opened his mouth, closed it, and looked away. “Well, you seem like you’d know. Sir Erik and I have training to do, excuse us.” 

Owen stepped aside and let them move out into the courtyard. Sir Erik looked amused as he followed Edwin out, and Owen refrained from chuckling until they were gone. 

“You would have been within rights to reprimand him for speaking that way to you,” Devin reminded him as they started walking again. “Probation or no, you are his superior officer.”

“I know.” Owen smiled. “But on the other hand, it’s going to be hilarious when he figures that out later on, don’t you think?” 

Devin looked at Owen for a minute, then shook his head. “You’re insufferable. We never should have let you out of that cage.”

“Probably not,” Owen admitted. “But then you’d have to rely on Edwin to fight dragons for you, and it seems kind of unfair to expect him to kill those and demons, no?”

“A good point,” Devin admitted, shaking his head. “Gabrielle is considering putting the two of them on Gavin’s retinue.”

Owen looked over his shoulder, kind of surprised. “He’d like Edwin. I don’t have much of a read on Sir Erik.”

“He’s young, but he’s competent. Both of them are. There’s already talk of giving Edwin his commission after his performance during the attack.”

Owen wasn’t surprised. “But they didn’t do it.”

“He’s not fully trained yet.” 

That didn’t sound like a real reason to Owen. He wondered if there was something else going on. “I’m sure Gavin wouldn’t object to the two of them.” 

“Good, I’ll keep them on the list. This hall leads to the main mess,” Devin said, pointing. “Where the food is. Head this way and it’s quarters. Every knight gets a room here, even if they don’t live here full time.”

“Even probationary knights?”

“That’s right. I’ll show you yours, though I’m sure it’s not as impressive as the castle.”

“When I was a kid,” Owen said, following after Devin. “All I wanted was to live here.” 

“Me too,” Devin said quietly. “We’re happy to have you, Sir Owen.”

Owen looked around at the stone walls of the fortress, cold, imposing. “I’m happy to be here, Sir Devin.”


	43. Distractions are Fine, as Long as You Don’t Use them to Ignore Your Problems Entirely

“I’m breaking up with you.”

“Well, that’s going to make it pretty awkward when I’m in charge of your bodyguard,” Owen said, not phased. 

“I don’t want a bodyguard. I don’t _need_ a bodyguard. Owen, why do you think I need a retinue of babysitters following me around everywhere?” Gavin said, shooting Owen an exasperated glare. 

They’d told him today about the plan. He wasn’t very happy. Owen had been nominated to sell it to him. 

It wasn’t working. 

“Not everywhere,” Owen insisted, because if he lost his patience that would be the end of that. “Just outside the castle, and especially outside the city.”

“Oh, good, I don’t need to be babysat in my own home,” Gavin snorted, quickened his pace. Owen kept up; he had longer legs. 

“It’s not babysitting, it’s keeping you alive.”

“I haven’t had any trouble staying alive so far. I have a full lifetime of successfully staying alive without a bodyguard,” Gavin complained. Normally it was adorable when Gavin complained, but today it was obnoxious. “I’m an adult. I’m engaged, for God’s sake.”

“Apparently not anymore.”

“Quiet. I can’t believe you agreed to this, do you really not trust me to keep myself from getting stabbed, Owen?”

“Yes, Gavin, I do,” Owen told him, because he did. “But…”

“Then do you really not trust yourself? You’ve never failed to protect me when I couldn’t do it myself, do you plan to start failing at it now?”

“I’m one person, Gavin!” Owen told him, raising his voice a little. As much as he felt bad, that got Gavin’s attention, finally making him turn his head and look at Owen. “I’m one person and I can’t be with you all the time. What if I hadn’t been there when you were on that tower?”

“They’re not going to be with me in the castle.”

“Maybe, but they will be when you’re in other places.” Owen gestured vaguely to some nebulous idea of ‘other places.’ “People we know have been killed in this city. You even said that it scared you that it wasn’t as safe as it used to be. I want you to feel safe.” 

“A bunch of assholes in armour aren’t going to make me feel safe,” Gavin muttered as they got to the door of his room, pulled open by a guard. “All it’s going to do is make me feel incompetent.”

“Do you think Gabrielle is incompetent?” Owen demanded as they went into the room.

“What?” Gavin swung around, frowning at Owen. 

“She’s got a retinue. Nobody thinks she’s not capable of protecting herself and I bet if you ask her, she won’t tell you that having them makes her feel that way either.” On the sitting room table behind Gavin was a huge, heavy-looking sword. “What’s that?”

“I don’t know, it’s…” Gavin turned around, noticing the weapon. “Oh, what is that? Owen, I’m not in the mood for jokes, get it out of here.” 

“I didn’t…”

“Owen.”

“Gavin.”

Gavin paused, scowling at Owen. Then he looked at the sword. “Well what the fuck is it doing here, then?”

“The guard must have let someone in, hold on.” Owen turned around, pushed the door back open and poked his head outside. “Kent,” he said to the guard. “What’s this bigass sword doing on the table? Who put it there?”

“Prince Franz did, sir,” Kent said, shrugging. “Or rather, his people did. Said it was a gift.” 

Owen blinked. “Thanks. Don’t call me sir.” And he retreated back into the room, shrugging at Gavin. “Apparently it was Franz.”

“There’s a note,” Gavin muttered, holding it up and reading it. He raised an eyebrow. “It’s for you. Which I guess we both might have guessed, since there’s no way I’m lifting this fucking thing.”

He held out the note to Owen, who took it, giving it a quick read. 

_Owen,_ it read, _I wanted to thank you properly for saving my dog. I know you already have a sword, but thought you might like to keep this one on the mantle, for emergencies._

Owen snorted, then looked at the sword again, putting the note down. “For saving his dog.”

“I was worried it was an engagement gift or something, like some weird southern custom.”

“He’d better not get us an engagement gift,” Owen muttered, putting his hand on the handle of the huge weapon and giving it an experimental tug. It was heavy, but not impossible. He put his second hand on and lifted it clear from the table. “We didn’t get him one. I could probably learn to use this.”

“I’m pretty sure he meant it as a joke, Owen.”

Owen looked at the sword, and looked at Gavin, and looked at the sword again. “I’m going to learn how to use it,” he declared. 

“You’re such a pain in the ass.” Gavin sighed, shook his head. He wandered over to a chair and fell into it, resting with his cheek in his hand. “Nobody thinks Gabrielle is incompetent because she’s obviously not. She wears armour and a sword everywhere and can clearly kill anyone who pisses her off. I’m barely two-thirds of her weight and I got kidnapped by a dragon a year ago.”

Owen sighed, giving the sword an experimental swing before setting it down and sitting as well. “I get it. I really do, Gavin. But nobody thinks you’re incompetent and even if they do think that you can’t protect yourself, who cares? You’re a prince, it’s not your job to protect yourself; you’re _supposed_ to have people to do that for you.”

“I know.” Gavin let out a sigh. “I know.” 

“You’re the one who’s always telling me that appearances matter, that I have to act like a knight if I’m going to become one, that I have to act like a sellsword if I’m going to get taken seriously. You have to act like a prince if you want people to take you seriously too,” Owen told him, because he was getting more traction with this than he had been before.

“Do I really need nine bodyguards to do that, though?” Gavin’s posture read defeat, though.

Owen smiled. “Eight if you don’t count me.”

“You’re the only one who counts.” Gavin looked away. “You’re right that I don’t always feel safe. I’m just not sure that’s going to fix that.”

Owen knew that. “It would make me feel like you were safe.”

Now Gavin looked up, resignation on his face. “Guilting me into it is cheating.”

Giving him a small smile, Owen shrugged. “I’m sorry. But technically I don’t have to do even that, because you don’t actually get a say.”

“Yeah, you’re just here to mollify me so I don’t spend the first six months sneaking away from them, I know.” Gavin gave a dismissive wave. “I was mostly mad because you’ve known about this…”

“Only for a week.”

“Known about this for a week and didn’t tell me until now.”

“Yeah.” Owen shifted uncomfortably. “That was stupid. Sorry.”

“Don’t do it again.” Gavin smiled at him. “I want to meet them all before I get stuck with them.”

“I know. We’re going to arrange that.”

“I get veto power,” Gavin added. “If I don’t like them, they have to find someone else.”

“Yeah, but you don’t get to just veto the whole order.”

“Yeah, yeah.” It was obvious from the shake of Gavin’s head that he’s considered it. “Fine. You must have a list. Tell me who’s on it. Is it anyone I know?”

Owen let out a little sigh of relief. It could have been harder than that. “Do you remember Edwin? From the banquet?”

“Yeah.” Gavin raised an eyebrow. “He’s on the list.”

“With his partner, Sir Erik, yeah. They were one of Gabrielle’s top picks, and Sir Devin’s too. They’re good, and I think you’ll like them.”

“These people understand that they’re not going to be helping me get dressed, right?” Gavin asked, leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees now. 

“I’ll make sure they understand that, yes.” Owen had no intention of smothering Gavin. “I’ll help you get dressed, don’t worry.”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re funny. I’m serious. I don’t want to see these people any more than necessary. Who else?”

“Sir Connor and his squire Rudy,” Owen said, nodding. “They wouldn’t have been my first choice, but Gabrielle knows Sir Connor and likes him, says he’s really no-nonsense but only when it’s important.”

“Why wouldn’t they be your first choice?” Gavin asked, nodding. 

Owen shrugged. “I don’t like the way Connor moves when he fights. Can’t explain it.” 

“Okay. Who else?”

Owen went through the entire list with Gavin, trying not to influence him unduly but also not hiding when he didn’t think someone was a good fit, regardless of who thought they should be there. 

Gavin’s opinion was the only one that mattered to him, after all.


	44. Efficient People Use Travel Time to Multitask

“Have fun beating people up today,” Gavin said, leaning up and kissing Owen.

“I always do,” Owen promised. “Have fun ordering people around and secretly ruling the world.”

Gavin grinned. “I always do. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

Owen gave Gavin one more goodbye kiss before turning and leaving the room, waving as he shut the door behind him. He stood there a second and sighed. He loved Gavin so much. 

The door guard was looking at Owen kind of funny, so he turned and headed out of the castle for the fortress. 

He got to go from the love of his life to the best job he could have wanted and back. Owen’s life was perfect. 

“Owen.”

Owen turned, saw Gavin’s father approaching him down the hallway. “Good morning, sir,” he said, pausing to give a bow. 

Gerard smiled, patted Owen’s shoulder as Owen rose. “As a knight, a firm salute is usually acceptable for greeting royalty outside of a formal setting,” he said. “As my son’s fiancé, I think maybe just a hello should do.”

Owen smiled, nodded his head. “I’ll try to remember that, sir.”

“How likely are you to drop that sir?” Gerard asked, looking curious.

Owen gave a bit of a chuckle, shook his head. “My father told me that the parents of anyone I wanted to kiss were sir and ma’am, and that if I forget every other thing about manners, I’d better remember that.”

Dad had put it a bit more basically than that, but that had been the general gist.

Gerard laughed, and started walking in the direction Owen had been. “Sounds like a smart man. Nobody ever taught me that and I still think my wife’s parents thought she could have done better after we’d been married fifteen years.”

Owen laughed, walking alongside the king. Because Owen’s life was perfect, and he lived with the king. “I think she did okay, sir.”

“I sure like to think so as well. Can I ask your opinion on something, Owen?”

“Of course, sir, what is it?” Owen had no idea what the king could possibly want his opinion on, but he was here to help. Or something. 

“Piracy.”

“Piracy?” Owen asked, and Gerard nodded sagely. “I…think it’s bad and we should try not to have it?”

Another sage nod. “Good idea. I think I’ll make that the kingdom’s official position. I shall have to let the navy know.”

“Happy to be of help, sir,” Owen said, assuming that they were joking. 

“Others don’t agree.”

“They don’t?”

“There’s a piracy problem on the west coast. A bunch of them have gathered around a leader and they’ve been carrying out daring raids on both sides of the border. It is the opinion of my military advisor that the Kyainese navy should deal with it, not us.”

“That’s stupid,” Owen said, before he could think. Then he heard himself, winced, and swallowed. “Sorry,” he said, when the king looked at him, amused. “What I should have said was, no problem ever got solved by making it someone else’s. I bet they’re saying down south that we should be dealing with it, right?”

“That’s right.”

Owen nodded. “I don’t want to tell your military advisor how to do his job, but what’s the point of a military if you’re not going to use it to help your people?”

“Now, that’s the kind of straightforward argument that I like. I shall have to tell her that. Though I expect she’ll say that the problem originated in the south and they should fix it.”

“Hm,” Owen said, looking at a window. “You asked my opinion, so I think you should just send someone and fix it before more people get hurt. A border is a line on a map.”

“Those lines are very important to some people,” Gerard pointed out.

They weren’t important to Owen. “More important than people’s lives?”

“A good point.” The king smiled at him. “Thank you, Owen.”

Owen shrugged. “I’m sure I didn’t say anything someone smarter than me hasn’t already said.” At least, he hoped he hadn’t. Owen would be very worried if military policy was being written by him in a hallway. 

“Maybe not, but I was curious how you’d handle a situation like that.”

“I handle most situations the same way,” Owen told him. This was definitely one of those situations that just needed a sword pointed at it as far as he was concerned.

“Yes, I remember you saying that before. I think this is where we part ways,” Gerard said, gesturing to the large front doors of the palace that they were approaching. “The fortress is a little out of my way.”

Owen nodded. “Right. It was nice talking to you, sir.”

“You as well, Owen. I’ll see you at dinner.”

Owen saluted the king as he left, got a laugh in return. Chuckling to himself, he made his way outside, looking up at the rising sun. He was going to be early again. It was a quiet walk from the doors to the castle gates, and as Owen stood there waiting for the guards to open them, he looked back, surveying the damage to the grounds from the dragon attack. He could only see a very small part of the destroyed tower from here, but rubble fanned out from there, mostly moved into piles for removal. Trees were torn up. Part of the outer wall was collapsed, which they were repairing first.

The useless moat had lowered its water level by a good amount, making it significantly less useless now that the spikes were at the surface of the water. Apparently, nobody could figure out why that had happened, or where the water had gone. Owen was planning on talking them into leaving it like than filling it back up and letting it be theoretically swimmable. Actually, he’d talk to Gabrielle about it today. Getting her on his side would be a good first step. 

Having decided that, Owen nodded to himself and turned to leave through the mostly open gates, headed for the fortress like he did most days now. 

“Owen.”

Owen wondered when people had stopped saying hello and just started calling his name at him. He turned to face Aria. “Aria,” he said back, waiting for her to catch up. “Where have you been? I hardly see you anymore and when I do, someone’s dying. Nobody’s dying, right?”

“Someone is somewhere,” Aria told him. “But not anyone we know. I assume.”

“That’s comforting,” Owen told her, trying to decide if it was. “I’m on my way to the fortress, want to come?”

“I’ll walk with you. I’ve got errands to run.”

“Are you working?” Owen asked, curious. “Or personal errands?”

“A combination of both. I’m unemployed at the moment, but the personal errands take the form of work. I’m centipede hunting.”

That got Owen’s attention. “Any luck?”

“Not as such. I’m mostly collecting information. From what I can gather, they’ve been seen all over.” Aria said it casually, as if it were nothing to be concerned about. 

“All over the city?” Owen asked. “That’s a problem.”

“All over the country.”

“That’s a bigger problem.”

“Yes it is,” Aria agreed, nodding. “An attack on the academy has finally convinced the mages to do something about Cleo’s father Solomon, however. So there’s hope.”

“What the fuck is he doing spreading centipedes all over the world?” Owen asked. “Aside from like, trying to freeze us all to death in eternal winter. He’s not going to pull that again, is he? I’ll kill him if he does. We should have burned that ice castle down.”

“It was an ice castle,” Aria reminded him. 

“I’d have figured something out,” Owen grumbled. 

“He’s after some collection of magical bullshit for God knows what reason,” Aria said with a sigh. “Your typical evil overlord type from what Cleo tells me. She ran away as a teenager to escape his crazy.”

“And now she’ll go back home to kick his ass?” Owen asked, hopeful.

“Something like that. When we do, you should come. You’d have fun. Assuming you can get permission from the boss.” Aria smirked.

“Gavin’s not the boss of me,” Owen said, puffing out his chest.

“Yes, he is.”

“Yes, he is,” Owen admitted, deflating. “I’d love to help, but do you need me? How hard can one guy and a lot of centipedes be to kill?”

“He lives on the Fury Plateau. You have to trek through the Roe Range, which is full of dragons.”

Owen perked up. “I’ll be there.”

“I had a feeling that would get you,” Aria said, patting Owen on the shoulder. “You’re predictable.”

“I try,” Owen laughed. “Hey, you’re unemployed.”

“And you’re not. Don’t rub it in.”

Owen shook his head. “I’m putting together Gavin’s formal retinue. Want a job?”

Aria made a bit of a face, looked at Owen for a good while. “I don’t know, I’d have to spend a lot of time with you and Gavin, and you’re really annoying.”

“But annoying in a fun way, right?”

The face continued. “No. You know Graham died in that attack?”

Owen’s smile faded. “Yeah. Sorry.”

Aria shrugged. “It happens. People you care about die. It…it’s the worst feeling ever. I’ll take the job, but on a short contract and with knowledge that I have to leave to go fight centipedes someday when the mages get their collective shit together.”

“So in thirty years?” Owen didn’t know much about mages and their timetables, but the way Aria said it was enough. 

“Thereabouts, yes.” She sighed. “I’ll come by the castle sometime and talk to you about it. I want a lot of money.”

“I think I can swing that,” Owen told her, smiling. 

“Didn’t expect to get to you hiring me this quickly, to be honest,” Aria said. She smiled. “Go to work. I’ll see you.”

“Glad to see you, Aria.”

“You too, Owen.”

They parted ways, and Owen continued on his way to the fortress. There were some difficult things in his life, some hard moments and bad people. But he had no complaints.


	45. It’s Often Difficult to Account for the Behaviour of Others

Owen didn’t have an official title in the fortress, but he’d all but been appointed the master-at-arms since it seemed like he was the only one who was consistently willing to stand out here and help people train. 

“Lower your shield arm,” he told tall, pale Archie as he walked by. “You’re blocking with that, not hiding behind it.”

“Everyone else tells me I hold it too low,” Archie protested, stepping back from Warren and frowning at his shield. 

“Everyone else is wrong. You’re tall, and holding it up makes it too easy for someone shorter than you to get at your belly,” Owen said. “Watch, give me that,” he added, stealing Warren’s practice sword. He stood ready to fight. “Come on.”

Wary, Archie raised his sword and shield. Owen engaged him, waiting as Archie’s shield inched a little higher, and then he jabbed low, poking Archie in the belly hard. “Lower.”

“Okay, okay.” 

Owen kept going, waiting until habit brought Archie’s shield up again, then he hooked his sword under it, poked Archie in the ribs. “Lower.” 

Training for knights was regimented, standard. Fighting was neither of those things, and it seemed like the order just hoped that their squires would learn that on their own someday. Owen planned to teach them, and break the bad habits they’d been taught. 

By the time he handed the dulled sword back to Warren, Archie was holding his shield right, at least for now. “Poke him in the gut every time he raises it higher than that,” he told Warren. 

“Yes, sir,” Warren grinned. He was more experienced than Archie by a good year or so, and he was more used to Owen kicking his ass. 

“And stop doing that with your elbow. You’re asking to have your forearm cut off.” 

Warren blinked, grin fading a bit. But he shrugged, keeping a cheerful expression. “I need my forearm, so I guess I’ll give it a try.”

“I guess you will,” Owen said, patting both him and Archie on the shoulder as he moved past them, surveying the rest of the training yard. 

Sometimes it was hard for him to remember that most of them weren’t much younger than he was. 

He corrected Leo’s stance—too narrow, asking to be knocked over—and Rudy’s grip, pausing to watch Edwin and wiry Holly spar. They seemed to be mostly talking quietly, but even doing that, they were moving better than most people. “He’s improving a lot,” Owen said to Sir Erik, who was also watching, face sweaty from his own practice. 

Erik nodded. “His biggest problem is that he’s insecure, honestly. Holly’s good, so he’s distracted enough that he’s forgotten that for now.”

“Ah,” Owen crossed his arms. Holly fought more like a real person than most of them. He liked her. “I guess the trick will be to keep distracting him, then.” 

“Doing my best,” Erik said, glancing over at the fortress gates. “Speaking of which.”

Owen looked over there, saw Gavin coming in, peering around as if only slightly interested in what he was seeing. 

“Guess I’d better go see what he wants,” Owen said, breaking away from Erik and approaching Gavin, who smiled on seeing him. He stopped in front of Gavin and gave a firm salute. “Your Highness,” he said. 

Gavin chuckled, pulled Owen down for a kiss. “Watching you salute me is oddly arousing, you know. I’d like if you were wearing a lot less armour. In fact, I insist. I need to be sure you’re at full attention, after all.”

Owen grinned. “It sounds like you have different expectations of me than the other knights. That’s hardly fair.”

Gavin’s smile turned mischievous. “No. Same expectations. I don’t mind all of you stripping down to stand at attention. Actually, that’s an image I could get behind. Maybe I’ll mandate that of my new retinue when you put them together.” 

“How’d I get stuck with such a pervert?” Owen asked, relaxing out of his salute. 

“You going to claim you didn’t know? I was pretty willing to fuck a stranger in a cave, if you remember.”

Owen nodded. “I do remember that, vaguely. You were kind of easy, actually.”

“Careful, I’m about to have a lot of knights I can replace you with,” Gavin threatened, tapping Owen on the chest. “Speaking of which, I’m here to meet these people you want to hire as my babysitters in shining armour.” 

Owen raised an eyebrow. “That’s happening tomorrow.”

“Not anymore.” Gavin cocked his head. “They’re going to have to get used to me not giving much of a damn about their schedules if this is going to work.”

Of course. “Or you could stop being an entitled brat.”

It was said with affection. 

“I could, but that seems unlikely, doesn’t it? Go get the first ones you want me to meet.” 

“Yes, your Highness.”

“Tell them to leave their armour outside; I’m assessing them entirely based on what they look like naked.”

“Careful,” Owen said, pulling Gavin towards Sir Erik. “I’ll get jealous.”

“Maybe that’s the idea, Sir Owen.”

Owen rolled his eyes as he crossed the yard. He knew Gavin was joking…mostly. He also knew that Gavin was interested in the idea of inviting an extra person into their bed sometime. Owen wasn’t sold, but he wasn’t totally opposed. “Lower the damn shield, Archie,” he said as he went by. 

Warren poked Archie in the belly to punctuate that. 

“Look at you being all in-charge,” Gavin muttered.

“Only for another half-hour until they’re off the hook and go inside,” Owen told him, smiling over his shoulder. “A few of the zealous ones will stay out here and practice longer, but most will fuck off.” 

“And then what do you do?” 

“Whatever they tell me to,” Owen smiled. “Sir Owen the Probationary is a knight of all trades.”

Gavin quirked a little smile. “That doesn’t have quite the same ring as Sir Owen the Dauntless.”

“Not really, no. Sir Erik,” Owen said, drawing Gavin over. “You’ve met the prince?”

“At the banquet,” Erik said, saluting Gavin. “A pleasure to see you again, your Highness.” 

“And you as well, Sir Erik,” Gavin said, nodding. “And I see Edwin is hard at work.”

“Always,” Erik promised, though Owen had caught him slacking more than his share of times and chosen not to say anything. At Owen’s nod, Erik called over for Edwin to come join them. 

Wiping sweat from his brow and smiling at Holly, Edwin came over to join them. Holly started to move away, but Owen called out. “Holly, go get Sir Elaine and come back here, will you?”

“Yes, sir,” she said, giving him a bit of a look before doing as she was told. 

Owen wanted her and Elaine for Gavin’s retinue, but Devin wanted them for Gabrielle’s and Devin outranked Owen. So Owen was going to resort to sneakiness instead. 

Edwin saluted Gavin, giving a toothy smile. “Good to see you, your Highness. Sorry I’m such a mess.” 

Owen blinked. That was…oddly cheerful for Edwin, actually. He was a nice enough guy, but he wasn’t normally that chipper. 

Gavin smiled, nodded at him. “I don’t mind a little dirt and sweat. I don’t think I ever thanked you for what you did at the banquet, Edwin. I appreciate you saving my sister’s life.” 

“Oh,” Edwin looked embarrassed, scratched at his ear with his free hand, not quite making eye contact with Gavin as he sheathed his weapon. “Just doing my duty, your Highness. Sir Owen did all the real work. He’s an amazing knight.”

“I know,” Gavin said, patting Owen’s hand. 

“Don’t let Edwin sell himself short,” Owen said, glancing from Edwin to Erik to Gavin. “He was very level-headed the whole time. And he went with me to check out a possible threat even when he thought I was full of shit.”

Gavin nodded. “I assume you two know that you’re being considered for positions on my formal bodyguard?”

“Yes, your Highness,” Edwin said, grinning widely before Erik could talk. “And can I just say, I’m really honoured that you’d even consider me. I know you probably mostly want Sir Erik, but even the possibility that I might get to, um, protect you is really exciting for me. I’ve always really admired you, and working with Sir Owen would be such a…good opportunity.” Was the shy smile he gave Owen at that just his imagination? Owen wasn’t sure.

Owen wasn’t sure what to say. Erik looked amused. Gavin raised an eyebrow. “Well, thank you. I’m glad you’re excited. I haven’t made my decision yet.”

“I understand, sir,” Edwin said, nodding eagerly. “I hope you decide to choose Sir Erik and I. I’m ready to do…whatever you need me to. Whatever you want me to.” 

Gavin smirked a bit. “That’s nice to hear.”

It wasn’t nice to hear. Owen was pretty sure Edwin was hitting on Gavin. Which was a good way for him to get hit. 

Edwin blushed, looked at his feet. “Sorry. I just…think you’re really something, and Sir Owen is such an inspiration, he’s so strong and good with his sword and he’s handsome and…” Edwin’s eyes went a bit wide, and he cleared his throat. “Anyway! You probably don’t want to hear me blab, I’m sure you have questions for Sir Erik!”

Gavin was still smiling at Edwin. “I guess I do. How long have you two worked together?”

“Just about a year, your Highness,” Erik reported. 

“Tell me the truth,” Gavin said, attention on Erik now so he didn’t notice the distracted looks he was getting from Edwin, all over. “Do you think that babysitting me is a waste of your time?”

Erik went just a bit stiff and that, but it was Edwin who blinked and turned a bit red. “Of course not, sir,” Erik said dutifully. “Guarding the prince is a great honour, and an important task. Your safety is of the utmost importance to the kingdom.”

“Secondary importance to Gabrielle’s,” Gavin muttered, waving a hand. “But I take your point. I think it’s a waste of your time.”

“You’re wrong,” Owen told him, arms crossed. “And you know it.”

“Sir Owen the Probationary, however, tells me I’m wrong.”

It was just a second, but Owen saw it. In Edwin’s eyes, when he heard the name. Surprise, then…glee. He really wished Gavin hadn’t said that out loud. Now Edwin was practically grinning at him. “If you’re selected for the guard, Gavin’s protection would be of the utmost importance to you,” Owen made clear. “The kingdom can catch fire.”

“I’d rather it didn’t,” Erik said, nodding. “But of course, protecting the prince would be our highest priority.”

“Our only priority,” Edwin added, still looking at Owen kind of funny. 

Gavin nodded, sighing. “Tell me about this magic sword you’ve got, Edwin.”

“The one I fight with, or the one in my pants?”

Owen snorted a laugh at that, he couldn’t help it. Edwin grinned at him. Erik smacked Edwin on the head. “Sorry, sir,” Edwin muttered, clearing his throat. “Previous partners have all reported satisfaction with it, your Highness.”

“ _Edwin_ ,” Erik growled. 

Edwin was nervous, Owen realized, that was all it was. And being nervous was making him stupid. He could sympathize. Gavin brought that out in people.

“Sorry,” Edwin repeated. “There’s not much to tell you, your Highness. I got it from a lion that could fly. It kills shadows.” 

“The lion, or the sword?”

“Both,” Edwin said, shrugging. 

“That’s good to know,” Gavin said. “I understand you haven’t had the mages weigh in on the sword yet.”

“They’ve been a bit busy,” Erik said.

Owen rolled his eyes. “We’ll give them a push. Just in case the sword is dangerous.” He didn’t want Edwin anywhere near Gavin if that thing was going to sprout teeth unexpectedly or some shit. 

“Swords are all dangerous, sir,” Edwin reminded him with a sly smile. “But I understand what you mean. I have a friend who’s a mage, I can take the sword to her.” 

Owen nodded. “Do that.” 

“You two understand that if you’re given this job, you’ll answer to Owen,” Gavin told them.

“Yes, sir,” Erik said, nodding.

Edwin nodded as well. “Not a problem. Sir Owen pounds on me in the training yard almost every day, no reason he can’t do that elsewhere too.”

Lips curling upwards, Gavin nodded. “And you’ll mostly be staying at arm’s length,” he said. “I don’t need you cutting my meat and wiping my ass.”

Erik nodded. “We’ve been briefed, your Highness. Minimal interference.” 

“Not that we mind doing those things,” Edwin supplied. “If you need help getting dressed and Sir Owen isn’t cutting it.”

Gavin chuckled. “Appreciated. If Owen’s ever not up to the task, I’ll be sure to call on you.”

“Hey!”

Gavin shrugged, turned his smile on Owen. “No offence.”

“I’m offended.”

“He’s got a magic sword,” Gavin said, and Owen saw in his eyes that he looked extremely amused. He’d clearly made up his mind already. Edwin being an idiot had appealed to him, Owen figured. He did have a kind of hapless charm. 

“I have a sword made of a dragon,” he reminded Gavin. A dragon he’d killed with a decorative weapon. 

“Mine’s bigger,” Edwin muttered, seemingly to himself. 

Gavin full-on grinned at Edwin now. “We’ll get you to prove that, don’t worry.” 

Edwin blinked, and Gavin nodded to himself. “I’m satisfied. Thank you both for your time—sorry for disturbing your training.” 

“Not at all, your Highness,” Erik said, saluting again and elbowing Edwin until he did the same. “Thank you for your consideration.”

Gavin nodded, pulling Owen away. “I’ll speak with you both once the final decision’s been made,” he told them, letting his gaze linger on Edwin for a second. He wasn’t sure what to make of all that. 

“I liked them,” Gavin muttered as they left earshot of the two knights. 

“Told you,” Owen reminded him, guiding him over to the fortress doors, where Holly was coming out with Sir Elaine. “Edwin’s not usually that weird.” 

“Oh, that’s disappointing,” Gavin mused. “He was very charming.”

“I think he was just nervous.”

Gavin nodded slowly. “I do have that effect on people. You like him, though.”

“Yeah,” Owen said, nodding. “He’s a solid knight, or he will be once he’s anointed. He’s good.” 

“Okay,” Gavin said, sounding like he’d expected something more. “Who’s next?”

“These two,” Owen said, nodding at Elaine, a tall woman with a long braid. “Don’t make that face.”

“I’m not making a face,” Gavin muttered, making a face.

“I know, you have your whole fantasy of a retinue of oiled-up men. But I like these two.”

“That’s nice,” Gavin muttered, a little red in the face.

“And Gabrielle and Devin don’t want them on your retinue.” Which was a technically true way of putting that, and one more likely to get the reaction he wanted from Gavin.

Who, predictably, perked up. “Oh, don’t they?” He started towards the two, but stopped and looked up at Owen. “I never said anything about them being oiled-up.”

Now Owen smiled a little, a tiny bit of colour in his cheeks. “I added the oil for you.”

“Aw, thanks.” Gavin patted Owen on one cheek, kissed the other. “Maybe this whole thing won’t be so bad after all.”

“Told you,” Owen repeated, bending over to pick up a loose stone from the ground. 

“Yeah, yeah. We’re going to the tailor’s after this, don’t forget. You have a fitting.”

Owen sighed. “Yeah.” Gavin’s friend Olivia was getting married in a few days. Gavin thought he needed an outfit. Owen was choosing to just go along with it and not bother telling Gavin he’d already chosen a perfectly acceptable one. “I remember.” He whipped the stone over at Archie, hitting him in the belly and turning away before he could hear his shout of indignation.

“I’m sure you do. Not let’s go meet the forbidden lady knights.”


	46. Not All Danger Comes at Knifepoint

“I’m still angry with you.”

Owen smiled at Gavin, swirling the wine he was holding. “Okay.”

Gavin’s scowl deepened. “Don’t _okay_ me, Owen. I went to a lot of trouble picking that outfit out for you.” 

“You went to a lot of trouble picking an outfit you thought I’d look hilarious in.”

Gavin colouring was enough to tell Owen that he’d been very right about the very tight velvet with all the lace that he’d had to try on at the tailor’s the other day. “A lot of trouble, and you decide to come to my friend’s wedding dressed like…”

“A knight?” Owen asked, looking down at his dragon armour. “Armour is always formal, Gavin. I’m not the only one dressed this way. Besides, keeps the knives out of my body where I like them.”

“Still.”

“And last time we had a fancy party,” Owen reminded him. “There were killers trying to murder your sister. I think this is a pretty sensible precaution.” He wasn’t wearing his sword, because that wasn’t allowed. But the armour would help if he had to fight someone. It was a little lighter than Owen had expected, but no less strong for it. Plus, he wouldn’t get picked up and tossed around by magic if there were practitioners.

“They were trying to fake-murder her anyway,” Gavin said, shaking his head. Everyone smarter than Owen was pretty sure the assassins at the banquet had been set up to fail. Owen agreed if only because they hadn’t been competent enough by half to pull of their little plan. “I just wish you’d told me you were going to pull this.”

“And ruin the surprise?” Owen asked, smiling. “You would have tried to talk me out of it.”

“Obviously.”

“Tell you what,” Owen said, taking Gavin’s free hand in his. “After this is over, we’ll go back to the room and you can select which parts of the armour you want me to take off, okay?”

Fortunately, the wedding part of the wedding was over. Now it was just the part where there was a long party and everyone got drunk to forget how boring the ceremony had been. 

Gavin’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t think you can placate me with an appeal to my libido.”

Owen blinked. “So…you don’t want to have sex?”

“I didn’t say that. We’re going to have sex in which your armour being removed—or not—will play a major part. But I’m still going to be annoyed with you after.”

That got Owen laughing. “Okay. Do you want to dance?” He nodded at the dance floor, where a few people, including Gabrielle and Franz, were dancing slowly. Owen didn’t really know how to dance, but it couldn’t be that hard.

“Yes,” Gavin drained his wineglass and set it down on a table, barely waiting for Owen to set his down too before pulling him over there. “You’re insufferable. It’s a good thing I love you.”

“Yeah, good thing,” Owen agreed, following Gavin and letting Gavin push him into a dancing position. Owen just followed Gavin’s lead, putting his hands where other people were and following Gavin when he started moving. He’d been right, it wasn’t that hard. “The insufferable is part of the reason you love me.”

“Don’t push your luck. You’re wearing those clothes someday.”

“Someday,” Owen agreed, nodding. He could probably make them go mysteriously missing before that. “Our wedding’s not going to be this boring, is it?” 

Gavin chuckled, pulling Owen into a gentle spin. “No, it’s going to be worse. There’ll be royal fanfare and everything, it’s going to be a nightmare.”

Owen made a face. “Can’t we just run away and get married in some little chapel somewhere with three dogs and a priest?”

“I’d like that,” Gavin hummed, tightening his grip on Owen. “But no.”

“Okay.” Owen kissed Gavin on the forehead, which messed him up and made him stumble. “I tried.” 

“You wouldn’t be you if you didn’t,” Gavin agreed, pulling Owen back into the dance. 

After a minute the music died down, and Gavin stopped moving, resting his head on Owen’s shoulder for a second. “I want more wine,” he muttered. “Then we’ll dance again.”

“Sounds good to me,” Owen said, letting Gavin rest there for a second before taking him back to the tables. “Though you drink too much.”

“You don’t drink enough,” Gavin countered. “It’s a wedding. Someone has to drink too much and get belligerent, and you know, Olivia’s ornery grandfather is in jail.”

“I guess that’s true,” Owen said, though it wasn’t. He was in a nice room in a tower, not a jail cell of any kind. Just because it was locked didn’t make it jail in his opinion. “Still, if you can’t get it up later I’m going to make fun of you.”

“It would serve you right if I couldn’t, Sir Owen,” Gavin said with a smirk, waving his hand at one of the servants for another cup of wine. “Besides, I’ve only had three cups.”

“You’ve had four if you count that one you took from me.”

“I’m not counting that one, that one was yours.” 

“If you say so, dear,” Owen muttered, watching as the servant poured some wine from a jug into a goblet for Gavin and headed over. 

“See, that’s what I wanted to hear about the wardrobe too,” Gavin said, not paying any attention, just trusting that the wine would get to him sooner or later. 

“I did say that about the wardrobe,” Owen reminded him. “I just didn’t follow through.”

“Exactly. And see, words only really matter if they’re paired with deeds, Owen. See, that’s where you made your mistake.” The servant arrived, put the cup in Gavin’s hand, turned to leave.

Gavin lifted the cup to his mouth, and Owen saw it. A twitch of the servant’s hand, slipping something in his sleeve. “Gavin!” Owen reached out and slapped the cup out of Gavin’s hand before he could drink, knocking it to the floor and getting wine everywhere.

“Owen!” Gavin was surprised, but he was looking at the wine, then at Owen, and he looked worried. “What?”

“Poison,” Owen said, darting past Gavin to chase the servant, who broke into a run. Around them, everyone had stopped moving, and the servant was pushing people aside to get away.

Owen caught up to him quickly, grabbing his arm and spinning him around before slamming him to the ground with a grunt. “Let me go!” the young man hollered. “Help!”

Owen punched him. “Shut up,” he growled, sticking his free hand into the man’s pocket and coming up with an empty vial. “You tried to kill Gavin, you son a bitch.”

Owen raised his hand to punch the man again, felt a hand on it and looked over his shoulder. Gavin was standing there, Gabrielle beside him. He crouched down beside the would-be killer. “My friend has had a hard time lately,” he said quietly, dangerously. “Probably because of whoever hired you. And now you’ve gone and ruined her wedding too. I suggest you tell us who hired you before your day gets any worse than it already has.” 

Owen couldn’t speak for the assassin, but if Gavin talked to him that way, he’d piss himself. 

The assassin didn’t piss himself—good thing, since Owen was sitting on him—but he did go very, very pale. “I don’t know,” he insisted, shaking his head. “Some guy passed me a letter and some money, I swear I don’t know.”

“Well,” Gavin said, smiling. “You’re going to help us find that guy who passed you money. Congratulations.” He looked up, at the two guards who’d just come over. “Take him to the castle dungeons.”

“Sir,” one of the guards protested. “This is House Feestings’ property, it’s their…”

“It’s my brother this man tried to kill,” Gabrielle said, arms crossed. “I’ll speak with Olivia. Take the prisoner to the castle immediately.”

The castle guard swallowed audibly. “Yes, your Highness,” he said, and the two of them hefted the man, head hanging, to his feet and dragging him away. 

Owen stood, and he pulled Gavin into a hug. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Gavin muttered, hugging back. “I’m…glad you wore your armour.”

“Didn’t help,” Owen said, making eye contact with Gabrielle, who looked scared. 

“Still.” Gavin sighed, closed his eyes. “What the fuck.”

“We’ll find out.” 

And when they did, whoever was responsible wasn’t going to end up in a nice room with a locked door and three meals a day. When they found out, Owen was going to kill the person who’d tried to hurt Gavin. It was that simple.


End file.
